Barely three (3) months away from parties’ primaries, information reaching our political desk had revealed that Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has finally made up his mind to zone the governorship slot to the Kalabari kingdom, a riverine axis of the state. Sequel to this development, informed political sources hinted this weekly that the Governor has settled for the speaker of the factional Rivers State House of Assembly, (RSHA), Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Dan Amachree.
Public affairs analysts attributed the sudden u-turn of the Governor to pick a riverine man as a successor to the frequent calls for an Ijaw governor come 2015 by various socio-political groups operating in the state.
Rt. Hon. Dan Amachree has been in the Rivers Assembly since 1999 representing the people of Asari-Toru Constituency II.
And he became a speaker in 2011 until July last year when he was allegedly impeached by a lawmaker representing Ogu/Bolo constituency, Rt. Hon. Evan Bipi. This led to a crisis in the Rivers Assembly. Since then the RSHA has been divided, while the Assembly complex, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt remains closed.
Rt. Hon. Dan Amachree who is a very close political associate to the governor and his loyalties begin to hold their sittings in the old Government House, dishing out laws at will.
According to reliable information, the major reason Rt. Hon. Dan Amachree was picked was because the governor has much confidence on him. Despite the crisis rocking the state, the factional speaker has been giving “go-ahead order” to the governor to borrow or source for funds in the various banks doing business both in the state and outside. No doubt since the Rivers crisis started the state under the leadership of Governor Amaechi has borrowed over N150bn.
Rt. Hon. Dan Amachree might face stiff opposition at the home front as he has a face off with the chairman of his local government Area (Asalga), Mr. Ojukaye flag Amachree.
Members of his (Dan Amachree) constituency are pleading with the governor to rescind on his decision to anoint Dan Amachree as a successor, alleging that the speaker is a failure. They further alleged that he has not done anything since he (Dan Amachree) started representing them in the State Assembly. They said that any attempt to pick him as the governorship flagbearer of the APC in the state, he might not scale through because of his awkward attitude in politics.
Meanwhile, the choice of Rt. Hon. Dan Amachree, according to a source close to the Government House, Senator Magnus Abe and Hon. Dakuku Peterside have threatened to dump the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC. The duo described the alleged adoption of Rt. Hon. Dan Amachree as a political betrayal which they said tantamount to electoral suicide. They vowed to ensure that Dan Amachree’s endorsement does not see the light of the day.
A political aide to Senator Abe told this weekly that, “If the Governor misbehaves, Oga will not have any option than to back out of the APC”. According to the political aide, Rt. Hon. Dan Amachree is not qualified to contest the forthcoming governorship party primary with Senator Abe, “but if any negative thing happens we will all back out of the APC. ###
