As the ‘war’ between Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike continues to generate controversy, the minister has told the Governor to leave the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, if he so wishes.
Wike, who stated this while speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, also dismissed the Governor’s claim that he (the Minister) betrayed him.
He argued that he was behind Amaechi in 2006 during the PDP governorship primaries in the state.
Amaechi who was denied the PDP governorship ticket in 2006, was later proclaimed the PDP flag bearer by a judgment of the Supreme Court in 2007.
The Minister claimed that he led the struggle to ensure that Amaechi regained his stolen mandate.
The Governor, had at the 60th birthday of a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Joe Okocha, described Wike and a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representative, Mr. Austin Opara, as betrayers.
He also vowed to dump the PDP, if he was “suffocated” in the party.
“I lead the people of Rivers State and I will lead you. If they suffocate us in PDP and we need to move, we move” Amaechi threatened.
But dismissing Amaechi’s threat yesterday, the Minister said, “I don’t observe fasting; I have started fasting so that he would leave the PDP. Let us meet in the field. Let us convince the Rivers State people. Let him leave the PDP; it is getting too late. Let him leave now. Let us meet at the election.”
“When Amaechi was in Ghana, most people had given up the hope (that he would become a governor). I was chased by the EFCC.
“There was nothing that was not done to make me withdraw my support for Amaechi. I had everything with me to terminate Amaechi’s ambition.
“There was no offer that was not made to me, but I said ‘no’.”
The Minister regretted that Amaechi has decided to abandon him after he fought to reclaim his mandate in 2007.
He said, “I know those who were in the night going to Omehia’s house (the governor of the state in 2007) to beg him to make them Ambassadors.”
In a swift reaction, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, dismissed Wike’s claims, saying that the PDP would lose if Amaechi dumps the party.
Semenitari said, “That Governor Amaechi is loved, well respected locally, nationally and internationally is a known and obvious fact. The PDP would certainly lose a lot if Governor Amaechi ever leaves the party, which is more than anyone can say of the Minister who incidentally is a beneficiary of Governor Amaechi’s benevolence.”
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