Embattled Rivers All Progressives Congress chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, made startling admissions about his involvement in rigging local council elections during the tenure of former Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
Okocha, who served as Chief of Staff to Amaechi from 2007 to 2015, was recently ousted as the Rivers APC Caretaker Committee chairman by a Port Harcourt High Court presided over by Justice Sika Aprioku.
Premium Politics reports that Justice Aprioku reinstated Chief Emeka Beke’s party leadership following his removal from office by the national leadership of APC.
Speaking during an appearance on a Channels TV programme on Thursday evening, Okocha, supported by the Rivers APC National Working Committee, also claimed that Beke was also involved in the election rigging during the Amaechi administration.
“On the issue of whether I rigged the election, I did not hide it. I should be praised as a whistleblower.,” he said before being cut by the interviewer who told him that election riggers should be behind bars. “No,” he responded, “If you were an armed robber yesterday, and today you came to confess that you stole something somewhere yesterday. Are you saying that the law will now take a retroactive effect? The answer is No.
“The reason why we say and keep saying is because of what is going on as we speak. When you have an idea of a thing and you see the other person also wants to use the tactics that you already know. You will shout. That is the reason why we went to court.”
When quizzed about who gave the orders to rig the elections, he added, “Yes, all of us were together including Emeka Beke,” implicating the reinstated Rivers APC chair.
However, Beke who was in the interview with Okocha quickly dismissed the allegations, adding that the police would arrest him (Okocha) for rigging the election.
Beke said, “During the election, was I part of it? Have you ever heard me say rig election?” before being countered by Okocha who asked, “Are you saying that under the Amaechi government, you never participated.”
“I did not follow you to the election. I did not partake in any election whatsoever. When you wake up and confess and you want to put me there. I am not part of that. You rigged the election and we are going to ask the police to arrest you that you rigged the election,” Beke replied.