Jonathan’s Dinner Brings Amaechi to Villa 27 Jun 2013 Governor Rotimi Amaechi Muhammad Bello Thirteen female members of the incumbent administration’s cabinet, led by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, Wednesday hosted President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice-President Namadi Sambo, their colleagues and other top government functionaries to a dinner to celebrate the achievements of the federal government two years after its inception. The occasion which was held at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja was attended by the Presidents of Malawi, Mrs. Joyce Banda, and Liberia, Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Also at the function was former Ghanaian President, John Kufour and from Zimbabwe came the Deputy Prime Minister, Arthur Mutambara. The colourful dinner was also a reconciliation point of some sort as the embattled Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), Chibuike Amaechi, and a host of his supporters in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)- Sule Lamido, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; and the opposition: Babatunde Fashola and 15 others graced the occasion. Amaechi, denying there was any crack in the NGF, said he was in Abuja for its meeting and decided to honour the president’s invitation for the dinner. “Was NGF sick? I don’t know about factions. We are holding NGF meeting and we agreed that those of us who were there should honour the president and attend the dinner. We have attended. You saw all of them. Some have left and I am leaving too,” he said. On whether he informed Jang that they had a meeting, Amaechi interjected and said he was invited, quickly observing that: “What is my business if he is not there? 16 to 19. Are you not a Nigerian? 16 governors voted for him, 19 governors voted for me. If he does not accept the 19, he is undemocratic.” “Anybody who supports him, including television houses, are also undemocratic. I have said it in a statement that if at any point in time we cannot uphold what 19 governors said, then we should be afraid of 2015,” the governor predicted. He said: “If the PDP is suspending me for that reason, then it is too bad. We must learn to be democratic. I am not aware that the party has given any reason for suspending me, if that is the reason, too bad.The party is yet to give any reason for my suspension. I am not awarethat the party suspended me for winning an election,” he said. On the way out of the crisis, Amaechi referred reporters to his opponent, Jang, and his supporters. “That is the question to ask Jang and those who are supporting him. Those with me are in majority,” he said.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 05:31:14 +0000
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