Friends and political associates of the embattled Rivers State
Governor, Chibuike Amaechi are considering dumping the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), Daily Sun has learnt. A cross-section of the
associates who spoke to Daily Sun, said they were fed up with the
political persecution of the governor, which they believed was being
sponsored by the Presidency.
They said they were mounting pressure on Amaechi to “pull out of
PDP.” A confidant of the governor confirmed to Daily Sun that Amaechi
had been under pressure to ditch the PDP, but maintained that the
governor had no intention of parting ways with the party. “Yes, pressure
has been consistently mounted on him, even before the APC talks began.
But be assured that he had no intention of leaving PDP for now,” offered
the source. However, a top PDP official from Rivers State who had
consistently decried the Presidency’s relationship with Amaechi, said
the continued persecution of the governor might lead “some of us to tell
him to leave PDP.”
The official disclosed that some parties had been making overtures to
Amaechi and some influential associates of his, since the face-off
between him and the presidency became public knowledge. He however
declined to name the parties. “I think PDP is underrating Amaechi. In
life, you know, people don’t usually value what they have until they
lose it. Pressure has been on the young man to dump PDP, but I guess he
doesn’t want to make a hasty decision. But I tell you this, the day he
makes up his mind shall see PDP losing Rivers State. Mark my words!,”
said the official. Another confidant of the governor lamented what he
described as the Presidency’s “proxy” war in Rivers State, saying
Amaechi had nothing to lose.
“The way they are going about it is laughable. Their desperation to
hurt Amaechi now appears to know no bounds. Governor Tanko Al-Makura of
Nasarawa State is the only CPC-elected governor. Dr. Segun Mimiko is the
only governor elected on the platform of Labour Party. Both men have
amply demonstrated that you don’t need to be in PDP to govern well. What
is more, Amaechi is on his way out as governor and therefore does not
need the PDP platform per se,” argued the source.
However, another source close to the governor confided in Daily Sun
that some associates had cautioned against dumping PDP, “in order to
avoid the mistakes of prominent PDP leaders who ditched the party only
to return on all fours, begging for re-admittance.” He added: “Some of
us have cautioned against a situation where we would be barking from
outside of the fence. We should remain in PDP and slug it out. We have a
former Vice President who lost relevance simply because he dumped PDP.
We can’t afford to commit such blunder.” On Friday’s sealing off of
Obio/Akpor Local Government secretariat by the police, Amaechi’s
confidant boasted that the caretaker committee members reportedly chased
away by the police would resume work today. “The Timothy Nsirim
executive was constitutionally removed by the required majority of the
state legislature. Hon. Chikodi Dike was appointed caretaker committee
chairman by the same lawmakers. So what is the business of the police in
the matter,” he demanded.
“If the police claim they were sealing off the secretariat to
forestall a breakdown of law and order, let it be known that the
caretaker committee shall resume work tomorrow (today), and nobody can
stop them. The police can lay siege to the secretariat, a mere
building,” he added. Incidentally, Amaechi and the man with whom he is
locked in a battle for the soul of Rivers PDP, Minister of State, Chief
Nyesom Wike were at press time reportedly out of country.
source: the sun
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