Tony Okocha, the embattled former Rivers State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has openly admitted to his involvement in rigging local council elections during the administration of ex-Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
Okocha, who served as Amaechi’s Chief of Staff from 2007 to 2015, was recently removed from his position as Rivers APC Caretaker Committee Chairman by a ruling from Justice Sika Aprioku of the Port Harcourt High Court.
In an interview on Channels TV, Okocha stated that his role in election rigging during Amaechi’s tenure was well-known and not a secret.
He went on to claim that he should be commended as a whistleblower, but the host interrupted, pointing out that election riggers belong behind bars, a suggestion Okocha disagreed with.
The APC chieftain asserted he should be praised as a whistleblower before the TV host interrupted, saying election riggers should be behind bars, to which he objected.
He said, “On the issue of whether I rigged the election, I did not hide it. I should be praised as a whistleblower.
“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.”
