By Danielle Lobito
The presidential bullying of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State rose to an upper level as the ruling Party Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) working committee suspended Amaechi a few days after he won the Nigerian Governors Forum election as the chairman for a second term.
Although 'a Rivers High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has restrained the Peoples Democratic Party from taking any further action against the state Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, pending the hearing of a substantive suit challenging his suspension from the party', Amaechi does not trust the Federal Government.
The way these people at the federal level are desperate, they may come after my life; so when you pray, remember to pray for me to remain alive. Now, you see political witch-hunt. It is so ridiculous; my party must rise above political witch-hunt,” the governor said during an interactive session with the youths of the state.
—Punch
The suspension was supposed to force Amaechi to leave PDP so that he would not be able to contest as a vice –presidential candidate in 2015. Amaechi got the drift but he is not planning to leave the PDP regardless of the shameful intrigues of the political party.
Initially, the Presidency claimed that President Goodluck Jonathan had nothing to do with the recent Nigerian Governors Forum election where Amaechi defeated Governor Jonah David Jang of Plateau State who was Jonathan’s favourite candidate. Recently, Jonathan endorsed Jang’s illegal gang or forum instead of accepting that Amaechi won a free and fair election. Recorded audio sections of the free and fair election are available on the internet e.g., YouTube and various blogs. 35 out of 36 state governors took part in the election. Amaechi scored 19 votes while Jang scored 16 votes.
Why can’t President Jonathan and a fraction of the PDP leave Amaechi alone? It is all to do with the 2015 Presidential election. The Presidency became uncomfortable with 'advanced' posters of Lamido and Amaechi for 2015 President and Vice-President. Sule Lamido is the governor of Jigawa State. Jonathan expected Amaechi to back him in the proposed 2015 election and not contest. He hates such democratic competition because he is not a democrat. Amaechi and some of his supporters have suffered all sorts of harassment and political witch-hunt by Jonathan and his goons to the extent that the Rivers State official jet was banned from the airspace.
Jonathan is planning to impeach Ameachi with eight lawmakers. Jonathan should acknowledge the fact that he is not above impeachment before plotting to impeach Ameachi. According to a Yoruba adage, do not dig a deep grave for your enemy because you may eventually fall in it.
Most Northern governors are expected to back Amaechi in his battle with the presidency because of the 2015 Presidential election. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo reportedly backs Lamido and Ameachi. Obasanjo aka Baba Iyabo was the one who forced his protégé Jonathan on Nigerians and should be the one to ‘plot’ his removal behind closed doors. Jonathan is fast becoming a civilian version of late military dictator General Sani Abachi and has misused his executive powers on Amaechi.
Jonathan endorses Gov Jang’s faction
Obasanjo Backs Lamido/Amaechi Ticket For 2015
Court restrains PDP from further action against Amaechi
Plot to impeach Amaechi thickens, as eight lawmakers join Wike’s camp
EXCLUSIVE: Rotimi Amaechi talks tough, says, “No one can push me out of PDP”
Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi told some school children on an official visit (shown on TV) that he was previously a poor student who did not have proper shoes to wear to school yet he became a governor. The children visualized Amaechi as their role model.
Some months later, we were surprised to see President Goodluck Jonathan using the same strategy to curry favour and votes in the 2011 presidential election that he won.
Despite the fact that Jonathan claimed that he had no shoes, a widely circulated photograph (left) shows that he wore shoes. He should tell Nigerians if the ‘shoeless’ slogan was a ruse or not. Did he ‘rent’ the shoes for the photo shoot? If he had shoes, would it be wrong to say that he got some votes on false pretenses?
Wait a minute! Isn’t that a younger GEJ… with shoes?
THE GOODLUCK JONATHAN DECLARATION, I ONCE HAD NO SHOES
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Abuja — A Bill seeking absolute powers to solely initiate and execute impeachment proceedings against a sitting President to rest with the National Assembly Tuesday, scaled second reading on the floor of the House of Representatives.
The Bill is intended to amend section 143 of the 1999 Constitution.
—Vanguard
