The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been cautioned against further insulting Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
A group, Amaechi Core Supporters Vanguard, gave the warning in a statement issued on Sunday.
The condemned what it described as “the systematic marginalisation” of governor Amaechi, in the affairs of the APC.
Mr Gabriel Orlu, the group’s coordinator warned that any further ill-treatment of its leader, (Amaechi), might force its members to reconsider their place in the APC.
The statement reads: “We, the entire members of the Amaechi Core Supporters Vanguard, have watched with great interest and disappointment, the unfolding events in our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in recent times, and wish to condemn the systematic marginalisation of our Leader, His Excellency, Honourable Rotimi Amaechi, in the affairs of APC.
“The most recent in the long list of injustice and humiliation meted out to Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, a man who has given everything, be it funding, courage and visibility to our party, APC, even at the risk of making himself unpopular amongst his own kith and kin, is the brazen manner he was rejected as the running mate of our presidential candidate, General Buhari.
“Of course, it is no longer news that Professor Yemi Osinbajo, a well-known acolyte of the man who is lording it over everybody in the APC, was forced on General Buhari, thus denying the Rivers State Governor the opportunity of being selected as Buhari’s running mate.
“It is quite obvious that Gov. Amaechi would have been a better choice with promises of bringing in votes from the Niger Delta plus other logistics support ever so needed in executing what promises to be a very herculean campaign to unseat the PDP.
“But those intent on destroying our party and all the hard work already put in by selling out as usual to the PDP, have closed their eyes to the reality on the ground and the huge advantages that Governor Amaechi brings to the table.
“We are even sickened the more by the tokenistic appointment of our Leader, Governor Amaechi as the Director General of the General Buhari Campaign organisation. What a twisted logic! How can a man, whom APC considers not good enough to be on General Buhari’s presidential ticket, be the chief marketing officer of that same ticket?
“Even then, the tin gods at the helm of APC appear not to have a sense of history. In 1999, the late Chief Bola Ige was denied the presidential ticket of the AD/APP joint ticket which was given to Chief Olu Falae because he was considered more acceptable to Nigerians than Bola Ige. What happened later? The rest as it is said is now history. We hope APC is not treading that path of history in 2015?
“There is also the insult of making Governor Amaechi the minister of petroleum if APC wins the presidential election. Seriously? What do these people take Amaechi for? This is a man who has been a two-term governor of an oil-producing state in Nigeria and all that the APC thinks he is worth is minister for petroleum. This is a gratuitous insult on Governor Amaechi and us, his teeming supporters in the Niger Delta region!
“We are therefore calling on General Buhari and the leadership of APC to stop this serial attack and insult on our Leader, Governor Amaechi. We warn that those seeing APC as their personal property are gradually pushing us to the wall and we hope they understand the implications of the continuous shabby treatment of Governor Amaechi and his numerous supporters.
“This is not the first time Amaechi is so badly treated by APC. Recall that during the party’s convention, there was an understanding that Amaechi’s candidate, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja would be picked as the consensus candidate for the APC chairmanship. But what happened? Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, hijacked the process and foisted his man, Chief Odigie Oyegun, on the party.
“Let it be known that any further ill-treatment of our Leader, Rotimi Amaechi, may force us to reconsider our place in the APC. We know where we came from to join APC and those who think we do not matter may just be in for a surprise. Enough is enough!”
