4th July, 2013
A faction of Rivers State chapter of People’s Democratic Party believed to be sponsored by Nyesom Wike, the Minister of State for Education and the Presidency against Rotimi Amaechi, the State Governor stormed Aso Rock presidential villa with a large delegation on Thursday on a visit to President Goodluck Jonathan.
The party leaders from Rivers State were led by Wike and Felix Obuah, the factional chairman. They PDP leaders held a meeting with Jonathan behind closed doors.
The meeting was also attended by five members of Rivers State House of Assembly believed to be loyal Wike.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Obuah said they apologized to the President for what he described as “shameful” actions of the Rivers State Governor even as he asserted that Rivers State chapter of PDP is in total support of the suspension of Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who he also said was already working with the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC.
“We are pained and our heart bleeds today that the main champion of opposition in the country against Mr. President and indeed the Federal Government of Nigeria is our own son, Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi,” said Obuah.
“This is indeed shameful. We do not know what has come over the young man. Is it that he wants to destabilize the PDP before his eventual movement to his new party, having been handed over the ACN/APC structure in Rivers State?,” he added.
Obuah said Rivers State PDP will continue to support Amaechi’s suspension from the PDP to demonstrate to the President that the Governor is alone in his actions.
The Rivers State factional PDP Chairman also commented on Amaechi’s disagreement with Joseph Mbu, the new Commissioner of Police in the State. Obuah said Joseph Mbu was “God sent”, because the police boss, unlike his predecessors refused to be used to arrest and harass political opponents of Governor Amaechi and charging them to court on trumped-up charges.
Obuah added that this is the reason the Governor has been doing everything possible to get Mbu out of Rivers State.
“Governor Amaechi desperately wants Mr. Mbu out of Rivers State and has publicly threatened to lead a street protest in Port Harcourt with hired persons and non Nigerians. The idea of the protest we understand, is to further press for the removal of the patriotic and selfless Commissioner of Police in Rivers State,” he said.
The party chairman expressed support for the president, his transformation agenda as well as his polices.
He told journalists that he assured the president that there was no crisis in the party and that people must “realize that the party is supreme and the President is the leader of the party and we have come to show our commitment and loyalty to him”.