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| Rotimi Amaechi |
- As APC leaders arrive Port Harcourt to formally invite Rivers Gov to join opposition party.
Mr. Amaechi, who was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which slammed an indefinite suspension on him since May 27, also described those angling to oust him from power, as desperate and corrupt people, who could only be stopped by peoples’ power and conscious reforms, which he likened to a revolution.
He spoke at a reception he organised for the APC leaders, who were in Port Harcourt, the state capital, to formally request him to join the opposition party.
The opposition leaders at the rally, which lasted for about three hours at the Government House, Port Harcourt, included former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari; former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu; APC National Chairman, Bisi Akande; Deputy National Chairman, Aminu Masari; National Vice Chairman (South-South), Tom Ikimi; and a former governor of Edo State, John Odigie-Oyegun.
Others were Senator Magnus Abe, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream); Andrew Uchendu, a member of the House of Representatives; and Sam Sam Jaja, Deputy National Chairman of the Kawu Baraje faction of the PDP, also called “New PDP.”
The chairmen of the 23 local government areas of the state were also in attendance.
Mr. Amaechi is a member the Abubakar Baraje-led faction of the PDP tagged “New PDP;” alongside six other governors. They are Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto).
The Rivers State governor is the third among the G7 governors to be openly approached by the APC leaders to join the party.
Noting that he was peculiar among the governors because he hailed from the same zone – South-South zone – as Mr Jonathan,, Mr Amaechi, in response to APC leaders’ invitation, said he would not only consult the president before deciding on the formal invitation, but also the people of zone and Rivers State.
“To our APC guests, I like to say we are a group of seven governors. In that group, I’m peculiar because the president is from our zone. So regarding your invitation, I will consult our leaders, I will consult my party. I will consult even the president. He is from our zone. I will consult all the ‘consultables’” he said.
“But the day we will take a decision, it will be at that our new stadium. It has the capacity to take 40,000 people. Tinubu and the president will address 40,000 people. So we need to go out and continue to grow our number.
“They have money, they have the police, they have the army, (but) the only thing we have is our people.”
The governor said some people he did not name had tried desperately on various occasions to remove him from office since 2007, but did not succeed because the God was behind him.
According to him, the plan to remove him next Monday would also fail, noting that he would dance on that day.
He said, “When you have God behind you, there is no one else. We have been hearing we will remove him! We will remove him! Have I been removed? They said they will remove us on the 11th. 11th is Monday. I will dance. The second reason I danced at Okrika is that they said they will stone me at Okrika. I went and it didn’t happen.”
Stressing that he was incorruptible, Mr Amaechi described those persecuting him as corrupt, adding that they secured contracts from the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and the Niger Delta Ministry and used the proceeds to build hotels for themselves. He also alleged that they abandoned the contracts they got.
“Most of the people on the other side are corrupt. They are thieves. They get contracts from the NNDC and the Niger Delta ministry and then go ahead to use the money to build hotels. One of them got N17 billion contract to build a road from Eleme to Imo Rivers. Is there a road there? They have served and are now hungry,” he stated.
He said those opposed to him became so desperate that they had to hire the state Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu, as the military wing of the PDP. According to him, the only thing that could stop them was peoples’ power.
He said, “They are so desperate that they have gone to hire Commissioner Mbu as the military wing of the PDP. One thing you should know is that the police will come after you. The only way to stop them is the people’s power.
“When you hear of impunity, it is because you allow it. When you hear that Amaechi is courageous, it’s because I take risk. You must come out when we ask you to do so. There is no revolution without blood. The only revolution without blood is reform.
“Any day they are ready for a debate, I’m ready. I call them thieves, let them reply me.”
Earlier, Mr Akande in his address, described Mr Amaechi as a bundle of courage and a brilliant man, who was being persecuted unjustly.
“He is a leader of the leaders, .and we think we will not go home without asking you, through him to join the APC. APC is the party of the progressives and that is where Rivers State belongs,” the APC National Chairman stated.
Speaking amidst cheers, Mr. Tinubu said that the APC delegation had planned to visit Rives State on Monday, but that the air space was blocked. According to him, the trip was put off because they did not want to offend anybody.
He described the Rivers governors as a progressive, visionary and focused leader, adding that the opposition knew why he was being persecuted.
He said, “Amaechi is a progressive. He is visionary. He is focused. We know the basis of his persecution. It is because he fought for the oil and revenue of Rivers state. He is doing well. He is giving our children the greatest weapon against poverty – education.
“I urge you to ask Governor Amaechi to lead you to the APC. The progressives are offering the rescue boat. This is a mission to rescue Nigeria.”
On his part, Mr Buhari said, “We are here to seek understanding and support from you through your leader, Governor Amaechi. I worked with one of your greatest assets, Prof Tam David West.
“Nigeria is at crossroads and that is why we decided to come together to rescue this country from destruction. We must get together and get this country moving again. I congratulate Gov. Amaechi for providing education for the people of the state.”
Mr. Ikimi said, “We have seen for ourselves that Rotimi Amaechi is indeed in charge of Rivers state. This young man is prepared to pursue his believe to the last, based on courage and conviction. It is on these principles that APC was formed. With APC, there is an alternative platform and there is a balance of power.
“APC means Aspirin, Panadol, Codeine. When you have strong headache, you take these drugs.
“APC also means Armoured Personnel Carrier. You use it to move forward when yeye police stop you.”
Among the indigenes of Rivers States that spoke at the reception were Messrs Abe, Uchendu, and Jaja, who gave the welcome address.
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