My life under threat, Amaechi cries out ... as PDP suspends him

According to Vanguard, hours after he was suspended from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, yesterday, solicited prayers from citizens of the state against desperate persons who he claimed were after his life.

The suspension of Amaechi from the party was agreed during an unscheduled and unusually early morning meeting of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party at the residence of the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. The meeting, Vanguard learnt, commenced at 8.00 a.m.

The meeting came two days ahead of the regular meeting of the NWC which normally holds on Wednesdays. It was also three days after Amaechi beat the odds with his re-election as chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF. He had been allegedly opposed by the PDP Governors’ Forum, PDP-GF ahead of the election.

The governor spoke amidst strong opposition from his loyalists and some party chieftains over what they described as the continued reign of lawlesness in the party. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in a sharp reaction called on the founders of the party to mobilise against what he described as the party's slip towards disintegration.

The suspension of the governor was, however, welcomed by the newly inaugurated Rivers State executive of the PDP that is opposed to the governor.

The governor’s suspension was hinged on what the party described as his refusal to order the reinstatement of members of the Obio Akpor Local Government executive who were suspended from office by the orders of the Rivers State House of Assembly upon allegations of corruption raised against the LG executive.

Hours after the suspension was announced, the party at a press conference said that it had constituted a committee headed by Mr. Joe Gadzama, SAN, to probe allegations raised against Amaechi.

Other members of the committee are PDP National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon; Inalegwu Onche, Friday Nwosu, Udorji Amedu, Ola Kukuyi, Wakil Mohammed, Yusuf Jangwe, Mrs Bola Doherty, Mr. Tanimu Adamson and Anicho Okoro as Secretary.

The time frame for the committee's assignment was, however, not given.

NGF crisis assumes new dimension

However, Vanguard gathered, yesterday ,that the crisis rocking the Nigeria Governors' Forum has taken a new dimension, with the Governor Jonah Jang-led parallel faction appointing Mr. Osaro Onaiwo as Sole Administrator of Jang’s office in Maitama, Abuja. He is to act pending the appointment of a substantive director-general.

In the statement conveying the governor's suspension issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, yesterday, the party said:

“The National Working Committee at its emergency meeting on Monday, May 27, 2013 considered the petition submitted by the PDP Rivers Executive Committee against His Excellency, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Executive Governor of Rivers State for violating Articles 58 1 (b), (c ), (h) and (m) of the PDP Constitution following his refusal to obey the lawful directive of the Rivers State Executive Committee to rescind his decision dissolving the elected Executive Council of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

“The National Working Committee after preliminary hearing, in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 57 (3), 59 (3), 59 (5) and 29 (2.b), hereby suspends the Executive Governor of River State, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as a member of the PDP and refers the matter to the appropriate disciplinary committee of the Party.

“This is in furtherance of the determination of the leadership of the party to enforce discipline at all levels within the party.”

My life under threat - Amaechi

Reacting to his suspension during an interactive session with youths of the state, Amaechi called for prayers saying that desperate people who he claimed did not follow the due process of hearing from him could also be after his life.

He, however, vowed that God who kept him in the face of the six-month intrigues that preceded his inauguration in 2007 would also see him through. The interactive session with the youths with the theme: "Consolidating on Rivers of our Dreams" took place at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Port Harcourt.

Noting the desperation of his foes, he said: "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.

"Who has power to suspend Obio/Akpor council? Now you see political witch-hunting; it is so ridiculous, my party must rise above political witch-hunting. The Governor did not suspend Obio/Akpor council, I hope you know. My power is to dissolve and remit it to the House of Assembly, but I have not done that yet, what the Assembly has said is 'we are investigating corruption' then the party says we should not investigate corruption, is that fair?".

Amaechi said the NWC issued a press statement to suspend him without any invitation and fair hearing. "I was not invited by the National Working Committee of PDP, I was not given fair hearing. What I heard was 'why did I refuse to reinstate the suspended Obio/Akpor Council executive? Who suspended them?', he asked.

His question received the enthusiastic response of the youths who chorused: "The Rivers State House of Assembly."

Again the governor asked, 'who has the power to investigate Obio/Akpor council executive?". The Youths again replied: "The State Assembly."

"If they are not guilty, then they will re-instate them, but if they are guilty, then we will ask for the dissolution of the council. We have not even gone half, and the Party (PDP) says re-instate them. It means that the party likes corruption. Let the Assembly resume and commence investigation, let's see what goes on. Whether there is corruption or not, it is the business of the Assembly. I have been a Speaker, and I know the powers of a Speaker and the legislature. I used it when I was a Speaker", Amaechi said.

"What is the police still doing at the Obio/Akpor Council building? The court gave an order to the Police to vacate Obio/Akpor Council, they disobeyed, and the police are still stationed there", he said.

"The Federal Government does not care, they only stationed police at Obio/Akpor council, even if everybody dies, they don't care. Now the whole state will be grounded, because the police have refused to vacate the Obio/Akpor Council Secretariat. They don't want to know, we are not important to the federal government, we are not important at all", Amaechi lamented.

"You know what it took for us to stop militancy in the state. But only last week, they now organized militants to return to the streets of Port Harcourt, is that not shameful. You all know how the militants spent our money, raped our women, killed our parents and young men. Immediately the militants stopped protesting, the police said, nobody should protest again", Amaechi stated.

"Internal democracy is important in our party, they fought me with everything, and I still won the Nigeria Governors' Forum election, what should they do? They should have joined me to thank God. Because what it means is that God has spoken. It happened when I was in Ghana, I fasted and prayed for six months, 6am to 6pm, and God made me Governor.

I will not leave PDP - Amaechi

"I will not leave the PDP. I will go to court. The plane (aircraft) issue is same politics, pure politics. For one year plus, a minister refused to sign import permit. I’m sure you are aware of the House of Representatives Committee report on the plane issue."

On the NGF election, Governor Amaechi said: "You will see it on the internet when the Governors were voting, all the governors were there and you will also see the counting. We (Governors) agreed to vote, and all the governors voted, so any governor who said he didn't vote is lying against the nation because all of us are on oath to govern properly. So we should not lie, every governor voted, you will see the video. If we leaders of Nigeria today are refusing to accept the results of a properly organized election supervised by the Director-General of the Governors' Forum, and somebody brought a paper that was signed in April. If you check that list, it was signed in April and you brought it on May 24 after the Governors have finished voting their chairman into office; that list is not part of our election. There is a rumour that they want to go to court to stop me as NGF chairman. We are ready to meet them in court but they should not go through the backdoor to get an order ", Amaechi said.

Meantime, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari has described the suspension of the governor by his party as worrisome, adding that it was witch hunting.

"We are concerned as we believe this is political witch-hunt. It is worrisome. The reason given is the suspension of the Obio/Akpor council. This is purely a legislative matter and one in accordance to the laws of local government councils in Rivers State."

On his part, the Chief of Staff Government House, Mr Tony Okocha said the action of the party made no sense. "The suspension makes no sense. How can you suspend the governor if you talk of rule of law? There are indices of the rule of law. Nobody called the governor for hearing on any issue. The whole thing makes no sense."

When contacted for comment, the Publicity Secretary of the Chief Godspower Ake-led faction of the PDP in the state, Mr George Wogba said they had not been formally informed of the action of the party.

The Felix Obuah led PDP on its part supported the suspension. Publicity Secretary of the faction, Mr Nwanosike Samuel who spoke also said the governor did not win the NGF election.

The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Otelemaba Amachree declined comment on the development. His media aide, Mr Jim Opiki said his boss would not want to say anything on the development at the moment.

Former National Deputy Chairman of the All Nigerian People's Party (ANPP) Chief Asukewe Iko-Awaji, faulted the suspension saying it was a violation of democratic tenets.

"I don't want to talk much about PDP as a party, but what you must know is the role of a party and that of government; they are different. That PDP suspends Amaechi does not remove him from office as governor", he ended.

Stakeholders react

Reactions to the development also flowed from several stakeholders in the polity yesterday. Among those who spoke yesterday were the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC; the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP; former Minister of Petroleum, Prof. Tam David-West; constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sir Austin Opara; member of the PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, Chief Segun Babatope; former member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Junaid Mohammed; civil rights activist cum lawyer, Bamidele Aturu; spokesman of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin among others.

CPC

"In the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), we are appalled by the sordid affair that the recently concluded chairmanship election of the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) degenerated into. What started as a spat between the Party's National leader and Nation's President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan and the NGF's re-elected Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has now snow-balled into the suspension of the latter! We are aware that the PDP's national leadership was miffed by Governor Amaechi's victory, despite the high-wire opposition that the Presidency mounted to forestall it. The anti-Amaechi governors that are being prodded by the Presidency are clearly unaware of the buffoonery of their claims that a pre-election endorsement easily translated to the votes garnered by their candidate (Chief Jonah Jang) at the Governors' election. This, again, attests to the opprobrious level that the PDP 's degeneration can be!"

Presidency has been reduced to pettiness -David-West

"Jonathan is very confused because in a democracy there are provisions for separation of powers. And that was what happened on the dissolution of Obi Akpor Local Government Executive Council. It was not Amaechi that did it, rather it was an act of parliament and the parliament is allowed under the law to do so. There were allegations of financial mismanagement by the community and the parliament came in to perform its duties as required by the laws."

The people advising Jonathan are misleading him. How they can unleash crisis on the state because of disagreements with Amaechi. He is just confused on how to oust Amaechi."

PDP'll suffer it at the end -Sagay

"We all know that he was suspended because he contested and defeated the PDP's and president's candidate at the elections. Whenever the PDP goes about displaying contempt and persecuting its leading lights, then it has embarked on a path of self destruction. How can a man be treated like that for exercising his legal and human rights. The PDP has always displayed contempt for the rule of law and democracy. The PDP will suffer more and not Amaechi because Amaechi is a good example and a good model. He is a shining model and the party is a contravention of that. They have succeeded in adding to Amaechi's status as one of the leading lights of the party. In other words the party will suffer for this at the end.”

Amaechi won the NGF election - Junaid Mohammed

What has happened is unfortunate and it will be sad if the media believes anything coming from this Presidency and its handlers about this Nigerian Governors Forum crises.”

I want to believe many Nigerians know what is happening today is not accidental, it is being manoeuvred for the simple purpose of tenure elongation for President Jonathan come 2015. I believe in a democracy, nobody should be afraid of election, nobody should be rattled with the outcome of the NGF election. When things like this happens, democracy is being dismantled little by little.

NGF crises is heating up the polity - Odumakin

Nigerian Governors Forum, (NGF) is not a constitutional body but a think-thank for the governors. The Governors were elected to govern their state and not unionise. Infact most of the Governors have abandoned their state projects because of the politics of NGF and playing unionism over the place. It is a shame that 35 governors will bend the rules and they cannot hold a peaceful election among themselves and now they want to tie the nation down.

Amaechi should allow himself to be led - Opara

It is an indication of selfishness on the part of some players who believe that they must lead. Their principle and theory is that they must rule and not be follower. Otherwise, there are 36 members in the forum and 19 members are standing behind one person and simple arithmetic shows that the person is the winner. My belief is that if you don't have the majority, then you follow, must you always lead? I believe the crises in the Governors forum is because somebody believes he must lead and never be led. My advice for Governor Amaechi is that he should be fair and follow the Governor Jang leadership because he enjoyed the same when he led the majority. He should subject himself to the leadership of Governor Jang so that we can have peace in this country.

Party position is supreme -Babatope

Nobody can be greater than the party, nobody can be bigger than his party, the party is supreme and that is the norm all over the world. Because of this NGF crises, we now have a situation whereby opposition parties are rooting for the destruction of the country. I think the best thing the party can do in that circumstance is to suspend such person and send him to the disciplinary committee.

I am appealing to the party to ensure Governor Amaechi is given all the democratic rights to defend himself before the National Working Committee of the party. Governor Amaechi is a brilliant man, but in a situation whereby advises to Amaechi, the party must ensure he is disciplined.

CNPP

We have already cautioned Mr President not to pander into the hands of anti-democrats, as Amechi's victory is victory for democracy and harbinger of what we expect in 2015. The era of African BIg Man is gone forever in Nigeria.

A bad omen -Peterside

This is an inauspicious moment to suspend a popular governor who is not only marking his 48th birthday today but was also a few days ago, re-elected by his colleagues in Nigeria Governors' Forum, NGF as Chairman. This news is baffling and a major blow to lovers of democracy because it violates the right of an individual to associate freely, to vote and be voted for in any democratic process. The NGF is not an extension of PDP, and thus cannot be governed by the constitution of the PDP. This is also a major impediment to PDP's future as a party. As Governor Amaechi is seen in Nigeria today as one of the most outstanding governors. What would it benefit a political party to suspend its most performing governor?

It is unfortunate - Seconte Davis, (PDP Rivers)

This is the only time I have heard that somebody is punished for winning. If canvassing for the support of his colleagues is a crime, why is the defeated 'anointed candidate' not equally suspended since he has opposition members like Peter Obi and Olusegun Mimiko who supported him.

Those who play or want to play God should not forget that power belongs to God and he gives it to whomever and however it pleases him

Femi Gbajabiamilla, Minority Leader, (ACN Lagos)

It tells you how low a government will go when desperate. This is an accidental government. There is supposed to be an art and a science to governance but this one possesses neither. First it is the state assembly members that were purportedly suspended and now its the governor.

Datti Ahmed (CPC, Kaduna), Deputy Minority Whip

We in the opposition are very happy about what is happening in the PDP. It is nemesis and it shows that PDP is on its way to the grave.

Everyday is for the thief and one day is for the owner. It is the injustice that they have done that is haunting them. They are expelling the democrats among them. Let them suspend more; we are waiting for them. This is the right time for them to join t'he opposition."

Kingsley Chinda (PDP) Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency.

“I have said that party is superior to its members. Without discipline we cannot progress. However, fairness, equity and due process must be complied with."