Tony Okocha, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC), urged Nigerians to hold state governors accountable for the current economic hardship during a press conference on Tuesday, July 23.
Addressing reporters at the National Secretariat of the APC in Abuja, Okocha acknowledged global economic challenges but absolved President Bola Tinubu of responsibility for the hardship. Instead, he pointed to state governors, questioning their management of substantial federal allocations.
“The truth be told, let us face reality here. What is the reason for the planned protest? The reason, as I heard, is that there is hunger in the land. Is President Tinubu the architect of hunger in the land? Why are we not demonstrating and protesting against our governors?” Okocha said.
He highlighted that during his tenure as Chief of Staff, Rivers State received a monthly allocation of N6.6 billion, whereas it now receives over N28 billion. He emphasized that the removal of the fuel subsidy has injected money into the system, money that is allocated to the states rather than kept by the President.
On the proposed nationwide protest set for August 1st, Okocha accused certain individuals, whom he described as failed politicians, of orchestrating the action. He called on patriotic Nigerians to reject the protest, arguing that it lacks justification.
“As a party in Rivers State and as patriotic citizens of Nigeria, we caution against the planned protest by people I call failed politicians. They cannot destroy the APC or President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We should support the President as he is determined to move Nigeria forward. It will take time, but the process is in place,” Okocha stated.
He urged Nigerians not to compare the country to others like Kenya or Sudan, noting differences in circumstances and population. Encouraging protests, he warned, would only lead to chaos. “We advise Nigerians not to join or support these failed politicians who think they can destroy the APC or the President,” he concluded.
