•He is a dreamer; we cannot be jittery over a sinking ship – Gov
The Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, has alleged that the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and his supporters are jittery and afraid.
He alleged that the governor and his supporters are making efforts to return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Wike also accused Amaechi, who is the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), of planting moles in the PDP, stressing that members of the party knew them and their movements.
The minister who is a former chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt and the Director-general of the Amaechi Campaign Organisation in 2011, described Rivers as a PDP state, while stating that the party will take over the seat of power in Rivers in 2015, from the APC.
The supervising minister of education spoke yesterday at the Krisdera Stadium, Omoku, the headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area in Orashi Region of Rivers State, where a former governor of the state, Dr. Peter Odili, hails from.
The event was the first anniversary of the Chief Felix Obuah-led executive of the PDP, which came into office through the judgment of an Abuja High Court on April 15, 2013, which sacked the Chief Godspower Ake-led executive, but being challenged at the Court of Appeal.
Amaechi, who spoke through the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha, described Wike as a day dreamer; stressing that he (Rivers governor) and his teeming supporters could not be jittery over a sinking PDP ship.
The NGF chairman also asked the supervising minister of education to resign and declare his governorship ambition, noting that no right-thinking person would leave a place of comfort (APC) for hell (PDP), describing Rivers as an APC state.
The Rivers governor stated that yesterday’s supposed crowd at the stadium in Omoku, from the 23 LGAs of the state, would not be up to the crowd of APC members in Obio/Akpor LGA of Rivers State.
Wike, a two-term Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council said: “When the Chairman (Obuah) and his team won on April 15, 2013, they said in the next three weeks, the government would step aside. Today (yesterday), we are one year and they have moved to another party.
“Instead for them to concentrate on what is happening in their party, they are interested in what is happening in the PDP and they are all making efforts to come back to the party.
“If they are coming back to the party, they must come in a proper way. Anybody that wants to follow the window, we will throw him out through the window. I urge you to continue to work for the PDP. I urge you to continue to remain steadfast, because you cannot achieve what you want to achieve, without commitment and sacrifice.”
He added, “What is important to us is how PDP will take back the seat of Government House, Port Harcourt in 2015. Let Amaechi not rush. Let him take it calmly. Let him take it easy. He has been telling various stories to different people and groups. All those people he has planted in PDP. We are aware. We know them and we know their movements.
“They are saying it is the turn of this and that. Come to the party. The party will tell you the war canoe house it is going. Come and participate in the affairs of the party, in order to be waxing stronger.”
The supervising minister of education also stated that anybody who was committed to the affairs of the PDP, who believed in the party, would make sacrifice, reiterating that members of the PDP were one family, which he claimed was why APC members were afraid.
He said there must be a party first, for people to say they wanted to vie, while urging all the members of the PDP in the state to come together and work for the party.
Wike said: “When the time comes for who will be here and who will be there, we shall all sit down and take a collective decision. We have one common enemy, which by the grace of God, we shall chase them out of Government House, Port Harcourt come 2015.
“The former Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, has expressed his support for all of you, for what you are doing and that the next time this opportunity comes, he will be with you.”
He added, “Our assignment is to mobilise. Knowing full well that somebody has challenged us, saying he gave PDP two million votes and that he is going to deny President Goodluck Jonathan the two million votes. Let us not dissipate our energy. The only work we have to do is to make sure all of us mobilise, have sleepless nights and to be sure that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan emerges as the presidential candidate of the PDP and thereafter wins the general election come 2015.”
The supervising minister of education also disclosed that President Jonathan would be in Port Harcourt for the Southsouth Unity Rally of the PDP on May 3, while pleading with members of the party to conduct themselves well.
The Rivers State Chairman of the PDP, in his welcome address earlier, noted that the road in the last one year had been characterised with some challenges and obstacles, but still with some inspiring moments, with the challenges and obstacles surmounted through the support of the members of the PDP and their dedication to the party.
Obuah said: “Let me restate my resolve to give equal opportunity and a level playing field to every party member to express his or her political rights, as we approach the 2015 general elections, irrespective of social status, height and body weight, ethnic background, religious affiliation or colour.”
The Rivers PDP chairman also urged members of the party in the state to work for and support the re-election of President Jonathan in 2015.
Source: The Nation
