The party leaders, led by the state party chairman, Felix Obuah, had a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan and also apologised to the president for the governor’s actions, which they described as ‘shameful.’
The Obuah led leadership, opposed to Mr. Amaechi, is believed to be sponsored by the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, and the presidency. They were declared the authentic leadership after a court sacked the party leadership loyal to Mr. Amaechi.
Speaking to journalists after Thursday’s meeting, Mr. Obuah said, “W are pained and our heart bleeds today that the main champion of opposition in the country against Mr. President and indeed the Federal Government of Nigeria is our own son, Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi.”
“This is indeed shameful. We do not know what has come over the young man. Is it that he wants to destabilize the PDP before his eventual movement to his new party, having been handed over the ACN/APC structure in Rivers State?
“Unfortunately, he has repeatedly rebuffed every effort by us and well meaning Nigerians to make him show remorse and respect for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Mr. President Sir, we sincerely apologize to you and the First Lady on this sad situation,” he added.
Mr. Obuah said residents of Rivers State were not in support of the actions of Mr. Amaechi against the president.
“We appeal that as the saying goes, ‘you do not visit the sin of the father on the son’ and implore your Excellency to remember us in prayers.
“To demonstrate that Rivers people are not with Governor Amaechi in this hostile attitude against Mr. President and our great party, we shall continue to support his suspension from the PDP by the National Working Committee until he retraces his steps from engaging in anti-party activities,” he said.
The party chairman said Mr. Amaechi was not only disrespecting the office of the president but is also attacking the Nigeria Police; stating that the governor’s grouse with the new Commissioner of Police in the State, Joseph Mbu, was because the new police boss refused to do what his predecessors did, which he described as “being used to terrorize innocent Rivers men and women including his perceived political opponents.”
Mr. Obuah described the new police commissioner as ‘God-sent’ saying he has refused to be used to “arrest and harass political opponents of Governor Amaechi and charging them to court on trumped-up charges.”
“It is for this reason that our Governor has been doing everything including instigating commission of crimes to ridicule and blackmail the Commissioner of Police.
“Governor Amaechi desperately wants Mr. Mbu out of Rivers State and has publicly threatened to lead a street protest in Port Harcourt with hired persons and non Nigerians. The idea of the protest we understand, is to further press for the removal of the patriotic and selfless Commissioner of Police in Rivers State,” he said.
The party chairman commended Mr. Wike, describing him as a source of inspiration “as well as many others in our struggle to restore our dignity and forge ahead as a winning party.”
He pledged the group’s support for the president, his transformation agenda as well as his polices adding that he can go to sleep with his two eyes closed “believing that at all times, we will massively support and stand with you, come rain come shine”.
Mr. Obuah said he assured the president that there was no crisis in the party and that “whoever that is not disciplined and who is not in support of our programme should be left out.”
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