The Senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Magnus Ngei Abe has called on the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi to swallow his pride and take responsibility for his actions that has plunged the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State in the present logjam.
He said that rather than face the reality on the ground, the Minister is busy staging needless battles against everybody he suspects, including the INEC, National Chairman.
Abe described Amaechi’s comments against him as very insulting, childish and an attempt to deviate from the crux of the matter.
The Senator said neither INEC nor the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike is responsible for the pitiable situation the party in the state has found itself.
Abe said, “It is unfortunate that the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, rather than acknowledge his actions which has dragged the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State to the edge.
“He has continued to stage an unnecessary personal battle against everybody and he has simply refused to look in the mirror and acknowledge that it is his own actions as a leader that has dragged the party to where it is.
“It is not the INEC Chairman, not Nyesom Wike, it is not myself but the actions of the APC leader in Rivers, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi that has dragged the party to where it is,” he said.
Abe further said that party supremacy in the modern world, it is about the supremacy of the constitution and rules of the party, not the supremacy of the leader, wondering why the Minister is going around calling names instead of looking inwards.
He explained that when the party had its congresses, members of the party paid for forms, but the Minister decreed that they were no longer members of the party and should not be allowed to take part in the congresses.
He (Amaechi) gave that order, the aggrieved party members rushed to the Courts, the people brought guns to the courts and violently tried to stop the courts from adjudicating in the matter. That attack on the courts is the foundation of his problem with the judiciary. It has nothing to do with me, Wike or the INEC Chairman.
As a leader he could have made some compromises to resolve the matter, the choice to fight to finish was that of Rotimi Amaechi.
“Ameachi’s comment today on the radio was very childish, what he should be talking about by this time as a politician is the way forward. How do we come together to deliver the President, because everybody’s votes including the aggrieved people are necessary for the President Buhari.
“So, we called this meeting to encourage all members of this party to come out en mass to support the president. The resources of the party are with him, it is his responsibility as the leader of the party in the state and the DG of the campaign. He should do whatever he needs to do to protect the votes.
“Secondly, I feel insulted when Amaechi says Nyesom Wike is using me. With all due respect to the Governor of Rivers State, he is not in any way my superior. He is my junior at the Barr and in politics.
“I have tried as much as possible for us to keep our dirty linen inside, Amaechi should not open his mouth again and say Wike is using me. He Amaechi could not use me as a Governor, against my principles and my beliefs, so how can Wike in a different party use me”.
The court of appeal should quickly deliver its judgment in our case.
“It is an important point of law that we are canvassing for the benefit of all Nigerians, not just of those who are party members.
“Amaechi talks about how he has contributed to 80 percent of Rivers politicians but he has never mentioned to Nigerians what 80 percent of Rivers politicians contributed to him to make him what he is today. If he made everybody, what did God do”.
“Nigerians should ask who is working for Wike, it is the problem Amaechi foisted on APC that Wike is benefiting from, his political blunders has made him Wike’s greatest benefactor”.
“When this crisis started we tried to draw his attention but he refused. We were telling him if this crisis continues he will suffer the outcome. What did he do when everybody was telling him including his close friends, were telling he will suffer ultimately because he is the leader of the party”.
Today he is telling people he did not want Wike to be governor because he is from Ikwerre. But after Wike became governor he still went ahead to nominate himself as Minister, why didn’t he stop himself since Wike is from Ikwerre?
“Rivers people are not fools. God is powerful and remained powerful.
The only chance left to put APC on the ballot is for the court to accept the direct primary that was supervised by the state party executive,” Abe said.
