A former House of Representatives member representing Emohua/Ikwerre constituency, Elder Chidi Wihioka has resigned from the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Wihioka, a loyalist of Senator Magnus Abe’s faction of the party resigned after another associate, Golden Chioma also left the party.
Chioma has since joined Social Democratic Party, SDP. Abe is also expected to join SDP soon and will be the party’s gubernatorial flag-bearer.
A gale of resignations has hit the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the past weeks.
Last week, Dawari George, a senior official of the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi’s faction also reigned.
His resignation was equally followed by that of Ibim Seminitari, a former commissioner for information under the Amaechi’s administration.
The reasons for the gale of resignations may not be unconnected to the emergence of Tonye Cole as the gubernatorial candidate of the party.
Insiders said Cole emerged as the guber candidate against the wishes of a majority of the chieftains of the party who believe that he is an outsider to the Rivers State political terrain.
His emergence in 2019 as the party’s candidate also led to the party not having candidates in the general election.
Wihioka in his resignation letter sent to the party’s ward chairman in ward 3, Elele in Ikwerre LGA said his resignation is based on “the highhandedness of one man who thinks and believes that he owns the party in Rivers State and his refusal to allow peace to reign in the party by giving everyone in the party equal playing ground.
He added that he will announce his next move when he finds a suitable one to join, stressing that his resignation from the APC will not affect his support for the presidential ambition of Bola Tinubu.