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Governor Amaechi’s travails: The Oshiomhole connection

5/30/2013

The recent suspension of Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have a lot to do with last year’s governorship in Edo State. The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) early this week suspended Amaechi for failing to obey the party’s directive to recall suspended members of Obio/Akpor council.

According to the Daily Sun,  Amaechi’s alleged anti-party activities may have pre-dated the Obio/Akpor suspension saga.

In the July 2012 governorship election in Edo State, Governor Amaechi was said to have expressly supported the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole against PDP’s Charles Airhiavbere, a retired General.

PDP sources said that Amaechi rebuffed his party’s plea to support Airhiavbere’s campaign with funds, but allegedly raised N500 million for Oshiomhole’s campaign.

The embattled Rivers State governor, had bluntly told the PDP leadership that, as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), that it would be awkward for him to be supporting a candidate running against Oshiomhole, whom he reportedly described as a key member of his forum. Amaechi’s response then said, had greatly unsettled the PDP leadership.

To worsen matters, Amaechi was one of the two PDP governors that graced Oshiomhole’s inauguration for a second term last November.

Even though Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State had also graced the occasion, the PDP hierarchy was said to have excused Uduaghan on the ground that Edo and Delta states were both carved out of the defunct Bendel State.

Amaechi, however, apart from having reportedly raised N500 million for Oshiomhole, had spent two nights in Benin City to witness the inauguration.

Amaechi was also said to have shared in Oshiomhole’s distasteful jokes on prominent PDP leader in Edo State.

Even though Amaechi had reportedly defended his presence at Oshiomhole’s second term inauguration- that he was there in his capacity as NGF chairman- top PDP officers believed he was there to celebrate his party’s defeat by ACN.

“Article 21.1 (b) of our party’s Constitution frowns at any member who does anything to bring our party to disrepute, hatred or contempt.

It was incredulous that Amaechi, who became governor because of the PDP ticket which the Supreme Court restored to him, would so openly celebrate the defeat of our governorship candidate,” a party source volunteered.

“If what Amaechi did in Edo State isn’t anti-party, what then is anti-party? Here was a PDP member talking of supporting a member of a rival party simply because of NGF! This means that NGF, to Amaechi, had become more important than PDP, the party that brought him to power,” the source added.

Sources opined that the PDP leadership was unhappy with the way Amaechi had been publicizing intra-party disputes, and how the opposition parties have been feasting on the crisis.

“The way these parties have been rising to Amaechi’s defence is suspect.  It is like there is something they know about Amaechi that we don’t. Whatever it is, he seems to enjoy their sympathy. All we are doing is to be sure we are not habouring persons who wish our party evil. That is why we are being careful with Amaechi,” he noted.

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