Rivers state Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has debunked the popular ‘tongue wagging’ that he will contest for presidency come 2015.
He stated that those behind the rumour did so to truncate his re-election as chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
Amaechi said in order to discourage his colleagues from supporting him, some faceless powerful persons engaged people to print posters bearing his image and paste them in some parts of the country.
Earlier in the year, posters bearing the names and pictures of Amaechi and the Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido for the 2015 presidential election surfaced in some states, including Kaduna and Abuja.
Speaking in an interview, Amaechi, who on May 24 won the controversial NGF election with 19 votes against 16 polled by Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, maintained that he had no presidential ambition.
“Those responsible for the posters are doing it out of mischief. I did not send anyone to print my posters and up till now, I don’t know who is responsible for the action,” he said
“But one thing is clear: they were done to tarnish my image before other governors.”
“Their intention was that because of the posters, my fellow governors would not vote for me during the NGF election, thinking that I have an ambition which I want to use the chairmanship to achieve.”
“But because the governors know there is no such ambition, they did not bother as they still voted for me.”
The governor however noted that there was nothing wrong in aiming for a higher office, wondered why people would go to the extent of spending money “meant to destroy other people.”
“But you may need to know that I don’t have such an ambition in the first place,” he insisted.
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