How can crisis be averted in Rivers State in next year’s elections?
Some people are trying to heat up the polity. The major stakeholders in the game should play by the rules of the game. Rivers used to be a one party state, but Governor Amaechi decided to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC), based on his personal reasons.
During the 2015 elections, there will be opposition in Rivers State, unlike it used to be, but 2015 will come and go. With God on our side, it will not degenerate to what we cannot handle. Although, a lot of problems are associated with pollicking, what matters most is for the stakeholders to play it according to the rules of the game. The security agencies are equal to the task.
The right leaders will emerge in 2015, because we always believe in the God factor. It is not about how high you are, the money you have or your influence. There is no power that will be, except ordained by God. So, let us not overheat the polity, because of our personal interests. God makes leaders. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan never knew he would be the President of Nigeria. He showed interest in becoming the Governor of Bayelsa State, but he became the Vice-President and later President.
President Jonathan has surpassed all the records of Nigeria’s past presidents and Heads of State. Imagine Dr. Jonathan, an Ijaw from Bayelsa State, a minority part of the country, now the President of Nigeria. That alone is a confirmation that only God can give power. We should not be killing ourselves or carrying guns, just because we want our brothers, friends or kinsmen to emerge as candidates of the political parties or winners of elections. We should always remember the God factor. God makes leaders.
The feeling is that President Jonathan has not performed and why are you suporting him?
President Jonathan has performed very well. He is the best so far. I am supporting him wholeheartedly. Not only me, all the members of the Rivers State PDP will wholeheartedly support the re-election of President Jonathan, without dropping a vote.
Can the PDP beat the APC in next year’s polls?
The APC is not a threat, any day, any time and can never be. With the defection of Amaechi, how many persons have followed him to the APC, besides the people he is sharing our resources with? The local government caretaker committee chairmen and members; his House of Assembly members and his commissioners moved with him to the APC. Amaechi is almost rounding off his tenure, but no development in all the 23 LGAs of Rivers state.
I am from Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA of Rivers state, very rich in crude oil and gas, but what has Amaechi done in my LGA? He will always talk about health centres and model primary schools, but forgetting that my LGA produces the resources that sustain Rivers state and Nigeria.
Amaechi has not done well. He may be claiming to have done well in mono-rail, which is laughable. I used to like Amaechi as a brother and namesake (Amaechi). In his first tenure, when he was in the PDP, he was doing well, but his attention is now on his personal interest. Amaechi is not up to 50 years and I am moving close to 60 years. I am Amaechi’s senior in age, but I still see him as my friend.
I am ready to welcome Amaechi back to the PDP and there will be a level playing field for everybody. Amaechi will be forgiven, upon his return to the PDP. He must realise his mistakes, plead and come back to the PDP. His reasons for defecting to the APC are uncalled for. He left the PDP that is doing very well, to support the unknown the APC.
Some of Amaechi’s friends, who left the PDP, have been given waivers and they are back to the PDP. I can also plead on behalf of Amaechi with the leadership of the PDP to also grant him waiver, if he repents and apologises. Amaechi is a young man and he still has hope for tomorrow.
I have always placed emphasis on peace. I have been inviting Amaechi for peace meeting, as his elder brother, but he is claiming that I have been insulting him with the invitations. What is wrong in inviting my younger brother to a meeting to ensure peace, no matter his position? I am a man of peace.
Amaechi remains my friend, but the truth must be said. As the governor of Rivers state, I will continue to give Amaechi all the respect, but that does not stop us from telling Amaechi where he is not doing well. Words of elders are words of wisdom. Amaechi should listen to us, as elders. PDP’s candidates will win the Rivers governorship and the presidential elections in 2015.
Why is the PDP threatening to sanction former Minister of Culture and Tourism, AlaboTonye Graham-Douglas for allegedly fraternising with Governor Amaechi over the proposed power shift to the riverrine area?
Unlike what was the situation in the PDP, when Amaechi and GodspowerAke (ex-Rivers Chairman of the PDP, whom Obuah succeeded) were in charge and were imposing candidates and not allowing the people’s choices to prevail. That is not democracy. This time, the delegates will elect the candidates of the party, without imposition. No matter how highly placed the person is, we will not allow him/her to impose candidates on the party. We should allow the delegates and the electorate to elect their leaders.
A particular person, because of his closeness to Governor Amaechi, cannot on behalf of the party, meet with the so-called governorship aspirants, without due regard to the party’s hierarchy in the state. After meeting with and fraternising with Amaechi, in the name of stakeholders, he will then come back and call PDP stakeholders to a meeting. We are just trying to caution that if he does not play to the rules of the game, he should not blame the party’s hierarchy for taking drastic actions against him, based on the party’s rules and regulations.
How can the division in the PDP over zoning be resolved?
There is no division in the PDP in Rivers State. In the PDP, we have guidelines. The PDP is going to present the best candidates for the elections. PDP is going to allow the people to choose their leaders. The zoning they are talking about is a gentleman’s agreement, but not in the constitutions of the PDP and Nigeria.
Some selfish politicians are trying to create problems, but we will not allow them to dictate to the party. If the United States of America zoned its Presidency, maybe Barack Obama would not have been the President today. Not considering where Obama came from, he was elected the President of the USA twice and he is doing very well.
We want the best persons to be the candidates of the PDP in Rivers state, during the 2015 elections. If the best governorship candidate is from Kalabari, Ogoni or Omoku (his hometown), we will support the person.Omoku people are also entitled to be governor, because we are feeding this nation, through the abundant crude oil and gas.
An Omoku person has not been Rivers governor. What stopped the PDP in Rivers State from zoning the governorship to Omoku? In view of my leadership style and belief in internal democracy, I want the best hand to lead. The best candidates with the best credentials will be featured by the PDP in Rivers State during the 2015 elections.
The Minister of State for Education fought for you to become the chairman. He is a governorship aspirant. Won’t you support his ambition?
I have no choice candidate. I will allow the people’s verdict. If I wanted to capitalise on my relationship with Wike, I could have acted like Amaechi and GodspowerAke and imposed Wike on the people, but I am insisting that the best governorship candidate should be elected by the PDP’s delegates, no matter where he/she hails from, as long as the person is an indigene of Rivers state.
Wike is the leader of the PDP in Rivers state. When Amaechi left the PDP, vacuum would not be allowed and a senior official in government, Wike, was chosen. Barr.Wike is doing so well. Rivers people, especially PDP members, have been calling on Wike to vie as governor in 2015. If he chooses to run and the people vote for him, what stops him? He has handled positions of trust and he has done very well. I am the father of all the aspirants. They are all my children. My role is to ensure a level playing field.
Who is the PDP leader in Rivers? Dr. Peter Odili or Wike?
Dr. Peter Odili is our father and leader of the PDP, the APC and other political parties, as well as non-politicians in Rivers State. Dr. Odili is also the leader of Amaechi and he (Odili) is the political leader of Rivers State and the South-South zone. In the PDP in Rivers state, our leader is Chief Nyesom Wike.
Have you and other leaders of the PDP been fair to Amaechi?
Amaechi wanted to play smart, by denying me, the rightful leader that won the PDP primaries, of victory. He knows that I am an upright and transparent man, who will never give to cheating. Amaechi knows that as chairman of the party in Rivers state, I will not allow his imposition of candidates to prevail.
In the 23 LGAs of Rivers state, there is no development, because Amaechi imposed all the chairmen, who will be loyal to him. The people are crying. I was a chairman of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LG council of the state and I put in my best. The records are still there.
When Amaechi denied me the chairmanship of the PDP in Rivers state and imposed Godspower Ake, I went to court and God restored my stolen mandate. Many politicians, who left the PDP, because of Amaechi’s highhandedness and dictatorial tendencies, are now back to the party, with my emergence as chairman.
