‘Blame Amaechi if APC leaders’ visit turns violent’

AS the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress prepares to visit Rivers State on Monday (today), the Peoples Democratic Party has warned that the state Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, should be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the state.

The Rivers State Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Felix Obuah, issued this warning on Sunday at the inauguration of the Grassroots Development Intiative in Eleme Local Government Area of the state.

Obuah accused Amaechi, of using state funds to organise a reception for the national leadership of the APC.

The state party chairman also alleged that Amaechi had doled out N500m belonging to the state to neighbouring states to mobilise people from such states to the airport to receive national leaders of the opposition parties.

He suggested that such action by the state governor could cause a breakdown of law and order in the state.

According to the state PDP chairman, “I want to say this as a sign of warning that any breakdown of law and order in this state, Governor Rotimi Amaechi should be held responsible.

“Only yesterday, he gave out N500m of our state money to neighbouring states to mobilise people to the airport to receive the leadership of APC.

“Is that what our money is meant for? When there is a breakdown of law and order, they will say it is Mbu.”

Also, the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, recalled that though Amaechi had said that nothing would make him (Amaechi) leave the PDP, the governor’s planned reception of APC leaders was contrary to such claim.

Wike explained that the mobilisation of people from neighboring states to support the APC would not prevent Rivers people from supporting President Goodluck Jonathan for a re-election in 2015.

He said, “What you must know is that before now, your governor has lied to you that nobody will make him to leave PDP.

“But today, the same governor has told the people to go  to the airport tomorrow to receive the APC leadership; Tinubu, Buhari and co. Does that not show people who are inconsistent? Does that not show that you do not have a governor who is consistent?”

Reacting, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha, described Obuah’s allegation as false and a sign of fear in the PDP.

Okocha also predicted a large turnout of Amaechi supporters at the airport and the Government House, describing the expected crowd as a storm that would show the PDP that “Amaechi remains the only politician on  the ground in the state.”

He challenged Obuah and his cohorts to show proof of the disbursement of N500m to Edo and other neighbouring states by Amaechi for the APC leaders’ visit to Rivers.