Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has said that there was no reason for him to begin to support the purported re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan, since the country’s leader has not told him of his plan to contest.
According to him, it is obviously too early for or any one, especially those in government, to start talking about contesting for the next Presidential elections.
Amaechi who spoke on the Hausa Service of the BBC, alleged that the political crisis in his state was all about the forthcoming general elections.
The Governor is reportedly being tipped as running mate to Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State in 2015, and is seen by the Presidency as a threat to Jonathan’s yet to be declared ambition.
Both men are from the South-south region.
Amaechi, while reacting to insinuations that he posed a threat to Jonathan’s re-election, asked “Has Goodluck Jonathan told you that he wants to run?
If he wants to contest, he will call me and inform me. And then we will look at it.”
Asked if there was any reason why he might not want to support the president, he replied thus “I don’t understand what you mean by I come from the same zone as the president and if there is any reason why I cannot support him. I’ve told you that the President is yet to say whether he wants to run or not.”
When the interviewer pestered, saying the question was a simple one, Amaechi retorted, saying: “What makes the question simple? You want me to become a prophet and determine that the president will contest?
“Assuming I say today that I will support the President and tomorrow the President says he is not contesting. Let the President inform me that he wants to contest. Don’t accuse the president of doing something that he is not responsible for. If he decides to contest, he will call those that he wants to support him. That would be the time that we will discuss the issue.”
On whether he wants to be a presidential running mate in 2015, “Why won’t you wait till 2015? My focus for now is how to govern Rivers State and ensure that the people benefit from my administration.”
Questioned on his future in the party, in view of his suspension, he said, “I am in court with the PDP because I don’t think they followed the process in taking that decision against me. I want the court to determine whether what they did was right.”
On the allegation that he is now with the opposition, he quipped: “How did they know that? Have they seen me in any opposition meeting? Because I hold different views from the leaders of the party, then they will say I am in the opposition?”
Asked if it was true that he and some northern governors were planning to float a party, Ameachi maintained that there was no such thing.
“I don’t know. I have no idea about any group. All I know is that there are some of us who don’t like the way things are being done. There is the need to address these issues.”
On the specifics of their disagreement with the leadership of the PDP, he said “It is all muddled up. You won’t talk about governance without talking about the party. The party needs to look at the direction the government is going…If we want victory at the polls, we have to correct these things. The party is not consulting enough; it seems as if the party wants to undermine the governors. What you see in the NGF is a deliberate attempt to cause confusion and division among the governors.”
On whether he was saying that the PDP is weak, he said, “No, I didn’t say that. Just that there are some disagreements in the party and they are affecting the internal cohesion of the party. It is the responsibility of the leaders of the party to address the problems.”
When asked to offer advice on how the leadership should handle the planned national convention, he opined, “That will not solve the problem. First and foremost they shouldn’t continue with a mini convention without arresting the situation. They have to arrest the current situation of things in the party because if that is not done, the problems will continue within the different camps.”
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