Exclusive: APC Woos Amaechi, May Dump PDP Soon 04th July, 2013. Mr Chibuike Amaechi. …Votes N1b For Media War With Presidency By ‘Tunde Babalola Barring any last minutes political maneuvering, the embattled Rivers State Governor, Mr Chibuike Amaechi would any moment from now dump the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP). FrontiersNews gathered that the factional Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) may likely pitch his tent with the yet to be registered All Progressive Congress (APC). Our correspondent gathered that it took Mr Amaechi more than one month to decide on his next line of action over the choice of dumping the ruling party in order to guard against a situation where he may have to ‘eat the humble pie’ like the likes of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as well as Ekiti and Anambra State Governors, Messrs Ayo Fayose and Chinwoike Mbadinuju who dumped the party only to beg to return to the party later. FrontiersNews investigations also revealed that Mr Amaechi has decided to jump out of the PDP’s umbrella to continue the war of attrition between his office and the Presidency using some ‘friendly’ media outfits to the opposition political parties. It was learnt that the Rivers State governor dedicated an estimated N1 billion to fight the media war with the presidency and his traducers. Evidence also abound of some mouth-watering contracts from the Rivers State government now in the kitty of some notable publishers. A source within the government house in Rivers said the money was put to good use recently resulting in the major pillory of the First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan. Two weekly journals last week carried lead stories on alleged excesses of the wife of the president during her visit to Port Harcourt apart from a rash of features and editorials in major opposition leaning newspapers last week. According to information, no less than N500 million were made available to the newspaper houses who took part in the hatchet job. Indications to Governor Amaechi’s eventual dumping of the PDP emerged last weekend when Mr Amaechi threatened to dump the ruling PDP if the party insists on the reversal of the suspension of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area executives as pre-condition for him to remain in the party. The governor had insisted that only the state assembly that suspended the council officials or the court that can say otherwise stating that he prefers to obey the court than any political party on the issue. According to him, “I want to hear the court say they have no right to do their function. Whatever the court says is what the Rivers State Government will do. We will obey the court, but outside that, nobody, not PDP, can give me condition. Is there only one party in Nigeria? Why would they give me condition? They will not give me condition. “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! 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly in April suspended the Executive Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Mr. Timothy Nsirim and his councillors for alleged financial recklessness. Efforts by the Felix Obuah-led state PDP to force the lawmakers to re-instate the council executives failed. The national body of PDP then suspended Mr Amaechi shortly after his victory of the NGF election – hinging the action on his refusal to recall the council executive.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Jul 2013 07:10:08 +0000
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