The APC Youth Leader for Etche LGA, Sopuruchi Onyesoh, has accused Etche Council Chairman Chief Hon. Chima Boniface Njoku of disregarding a directive from the FCT Minister, Chief Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, to pay monthly stipends to APC and PDP executives in the 23 LGAs.
Onyesoh said the order was issued in February 2026 as part of a coalition arrangement to “deliver the President in the forthcoming general elections.”
“The leader of Rivers politics, Chief Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, ordered the 23 LGA chairmen to be paying the executive of APC and the executive of PDP since we are in coalition,” Onyesoh said in a statement on Saturday.
“To the surprise of many, Chief Hon. Chima Boniface Njoku has not paid kobo to anyone since the directive in February 2026. It is disobedience to our leaders and it signals a bad omen for state politics,” he added.
Onyesoh alleged that other council chairmen in Rivers State had complied with the directive, but Etche remained an exception. He called on party leaders and the FCT Minister to “call the chairman to order” to avoid disaffection among grassroots executives.
Efforts to reach Chief Hon. Chima Boniface Njoku for comment were unsuccessful as of press time. Calls and text messages to his media aide were not returned.
The Etche LGA press office has not issued a statement on the allegation.
Since February 2026, reports have circulated that LG chairmen across Rivers were directed to support executives of both APC and PDP under a coalition framework backed by Wike, a PDP chieftain now serving in an APC-led federal cabinet.
The arrangement is widely seen as part of broader realignments ahead of the next general elections. Neither the FCT Minister’s office nor the Rivers State Government has publicly confirmed details of the payment directive.
Political analysts say disputes over funding are common in coalition structures. “When two party executives expect payments from one council purse, transparency becomes critical,” said Port Harcourt-based analyst Dr. Kemi Adeleke. “Silence from either side fuels speculation.”
Onyesoh said Etche APC youth would “await directives from Abuja” but warned that continued non-payment could affect mobilization.
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