The Rivers State leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has voiced doubts about the present political standing of Rotimi Amaechi, the former minister of transportation.
The state caretaker committee chairman, Tony Okocha, told reporters on Tuesday, July 23, that the former governor of Rivers State seems to have cut ties with the APC.
Okocha, the former chief of staff under Amaechi’s governorship, described an incident in which Amaechi chastised the state secretary of the party for inviting him to a stakeholders’ meeting and directed that no such invitations be sent to him going forward when asked about Amaechi’s standing within the party.
“I have no question to answer. I was Chief of Staff to Rotimi Amaechi, recall that at one point he got into Law School and after one year in Law School he became incommunicado. You are also aware that after the presidential primary election, he disappeared into thin air,” Okocha said.
“So whether he is still a party member or not I wouldn’t know because all the meetings we called, I give you an example of a meeting we called for all the former governors and ministers, he (Amaechi) sent a message to the Secretary of the party and warned him never to dare send him a message about the party again.”
He added; “So when you meet him, ask him where he belongs. For me, I don’t know where he belongs.” Okocha also dismissed claims that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has control over the APC in Rivers State.
“When I hear this I laugh because Wike is a member of PDP, an unrepentant PDP. We are APC here. Will anybody suggest that because Mr. Wike is a minister under our government of APC we should be at daggers with him?
“Wike didn’t attend our meetings. I have briefed you here, we have held meetings of stakeholders, but Wike was never there. So at what point does he influence APC in Rivers State? His influence, as much as you know, is because he is a minister under an APC government, so we can’t be in enmity with him. But to say that he influences us, how? Does he pay our bills? Or does he attend our meetings? The answer is no.”
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
