Ribadu Got It Wrong on Governor Amaechi —Rivers APC

Ribadu Got It Wrong on Governor Amaechi —Rivers APC

•Describes ex-EFCC Chairman joining PDP as a Political Suicide   

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State Chapter, has learnt, with shock, of the unprovoked attack which our friend and brother, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, launched on our leader Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Governor of Rivers State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF). 

Ribadu, according to reports which he is yet to deny in the true sense of it, in trying to justify his defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), demonised the APC and its leaders, describing Governor Amaechi as someone who “is hungry for power and does not know how to go about it, except with money. “

Ribadu’s outburst is very unfortunate and borne out of ignorance of what the antecedents of Amaechi are. It is on record that during the days of Chief Rufus Ada George as Governor of Rivers State, he offered Amaechi appointment as one of his Commissioners but Amechi declined and instead nominated his cousin, Sir Celestine Omehia, whom George appointed as the Commissioner for Education.

This does not in any way indicate somebody who is hungry for power. While Amaechi, like Ribadu, has exercised his constitutional right to seek election as Governor, his feats, which he rightfully attributes to the grace of God, conclusively prove that he never sought office due to hunger for power but, rather, in order to render service and make the society a better place.

This is in direct contrast to the conduct of Mallam Ribadu, who after being the presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria in 2011, has now stooped so low to buy PDP guber form to contest the governorship of Adamawa State thereby committing a political suicide and if we still know PDP very well, Ribadu will surely regret this unwise step in a matter of few weeks. And to think that this is the same PDP which Ribadu once described as a den of thieves! So between Amaechi and Ribadu, who should rightly be accused of being hungry for power? Obviously, it is Ribadu, who has just confirmed his position in the league of political prostitutes!

While we wish Ribadu well in his latest political gamble, we advise him to leave Amaechi and APC alone. He should preoccupy himself with how to survive among the sharks and wolves that he decided to join after abusing them to high heavens.

We wish to urge and plead with Nigerians not be dismayed or discouraged by the unprincipled step of Ribadu and his likes but unite and seek solution on how to save our nation from the pains and shame that PDP Government has brought to our nation through the looting of our common patrimony with impunity and turning corruption into an institution and not disparagement of Governor Amaechi or any other progressive leader of our nation. The PDP Government has destroyed all facets of our nationhood - our education sector is in shambles together with our Health Sector so any sound mind joining or promoting such a party like PDP that have brought so much misery and poverty to our nation is totally out of tune from reality.

Finally, Nigerians are aware that the joining of Governor Amaechi and other former PDP Governors to APC have not only brought vibrancy but made APC as a better alternative to the evil that PDP represents.

Wike A Shameless Liar —Rivers APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State Chapter, has dismissed as a big lie, the claim by Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, that six serving Commissioners in the state have concluded plans to dump the party for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“This is nothing but idle talk and it exposes Wike as a shameless liar because no Commissioner in the Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi administration is contemplating defecting to the virtually non-existent PDP, not to talk of six of them leaving in one fell swoop for a party that is on its way to the graveyard in Rivers State,” Rivers APC said in a statement issued Thursday in Port Harcourt by its Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya.

Ikanya noted that “if Wike is a serious mind, he would have mentioned the names of the six imaginary Commissioners that allegedly gave him advance notice of their purported intention to dump APC for the embattled PDP.” The APC State Chairman dismissed Wike’s expectation in this regard as “a malaria dream and mere wishful thinking as none of our Commissioners in the present State EXCO is either contemplating or planning such a suicidal step of joining PDP that will soon disintegrate.”

He said that, “to the contrary, several of the characters parading themselves as governorship aspirants under the dying PDP platform have entered into serious negotiations with our party leadership with a view to joining APC as the undisputable PDP Leader in Rivers State, Her Excellency, Dame Patience Jonathan, has refused to anoint any of them. In this regard, it is unfortunate that Chief Wike seems not to be in the picture that he will in the next few weeks be expelled from PDP for anti-party activities to pave the way for the First Lady’s anointed candidate.”

Ikanya insisted that APC is now the last bus stop for any serious politician in Rivers State, adding that the party is gearing up to announce the demise of PDP in the state after Mama Peace (Dame Jonathan) executes her plan to impose an unpopular governorship candidate on the party.

The Rivers State APC Chairman similarly dismissed as a joke the claim by South-South PDP Zonal Secretary, Mr. Joe Onyewelu, that the party would recapture Rivers and Edo states during the 2015 general elections.

“This,” according to Ikanya, “is nothing but wishful thinking on the part of PDP states as the great feats of Governors Amaechi in Rivers State and Adams Oshiomhole in Edo have given the people a good idea of what good governance looks like, thereby sealing the fate of the discredited PDP, not only in the two states, which they under-developed, but, indeed, throughout the Niger Delta and elsewhere across the country.”

Defeat of Al-Makura’s Impeachment: A Victory over Fascism - Rivers APC

•Demands apology from President Jonathan  

The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has expressed happiness by the way and manner the Emirs, Chiefs and people of Nasarawa State defeated fascism and impunity, stoutly defending the mandate they freely gave to their Governor, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura, when the misguided and demented PDP Leadership in connivance with a confused Presidency attempted to impeach the People’s Governor and steal their mandate from the backyard, saying kudos must be given to the masses for rallying round their Governor, thus frustrating the evil plot of the PDP Leadership to execute a coup against their popularly elected Governor after the party was roundly rejected during the 2011 gubernatorial elections. 

“We salute the Chief Judge of Nasarawa State and members of the Investigating Panel headed by Yusuf Shehu Usman for proving that we still have principled men in our nation who are not ready to succumb to the evil plot and pressure of a group whose unprincipled acts are legendary. They have by so doing succeeded in exposing PDP as an evil party that does not mean well for the people of Nasarawa State by investigating and finding the Governor innocent of all the false allegations against him. By so doing, the Chief Judge and members of the Investigating Panel have forestalled the unjust removal of a Governor who has proved that he is out to serve and develop Nasarawa State. They have, by this act, written their names in gold in the history of the political evolution of our nation”,  Rivers APC stated in a press statement signed by Chief Eze chukwuemeka Eze.  

Continuing, the statement said, “it is very unfortunate that President Goodluck Jonathan hosted these lawmakers and failed to call them to order in their evil mission to ridicule our democracy and cause havoc to our political development. We hope that Mr. President will find time to apologise to the people of Nasarawa State for this unpresidential conduct that has caused Nigerians monumental psychological trauma.” 

APC urged the people of Nasarawa State to start without any delay the immediate recall of all lawbreakers who call themselves PDP lawmakers and who orchestrated this failed attempt of stealing the mandate freely given to Governor Al-Makura by the people of Nasarawa State.

“We also urge them to join other Nigerians to ensure that PDP is adequately punished by denying the party any elective post come 2015.

“The manner in which PDP Leadership went about the impunity that was called the impeachment of Adamawa State Governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako, for standing up and protecting the interests of his people and the militarisation of Ekiti State election simply demonstrates that PDP is desperate to trample on the rights and mandate of the people. This, no doubt, is a rehearsal of what they have in stock for Nigerians in 2015, seeing that the party has been rejected by Nigerians as a result of the hardship it party has brought upon Nigerians particularly by means of the unfortunate administration of President Jonathan.

“We pray and hope that with the experience of Nasarawa State, the beginning of the demise of PDP has just begun. This becomes imperative to avoid the orchestrated plots by PDP to impose their visionless programs of causing further hardship on Nigerians come 2015’, the statement concluded.

  

Rivers APC Calls PDP a Party of Blind Critics, Enemies of Progress

 •Defends Amaechi’s purchase of road analyser 

The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged the State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to provide proof that the APC Government in the State inflated the cost of the Automated Road Analyser (ARAN) commissioned on July 18 by Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. 

“We are shocked that instead of joining the rest of Rivers people to celebrate the purchase of this scientific device to be used in monitoring road quality so as to ensure that dubious contractors do not rip off the State, PDP leaders are questioning this wise investment by the visionary government of Rt. Hon. Amaechi,” APC said in a statement issued Friday in Port Harcourt by the State Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya. 

The party said that by opposing the purchase of the road analyser, PDP has left no one in doubt that it is a party of blind critics and enemies of progress. “Contrary to PDP’s claims, the purchase of the road analyser by the Rivers State Government was done in a transparent manner and followed due process. Each of the two machines cost N109 million, making a total of N218 million for the two machines. The figure was not inflated in any way and any right-thinking person would appreciate this wise investment which will not only ensure better road quality but also save the State hundreds of millions of naira,” APC said.

The party challenged PDP leaders to provide proof that the cost of the machines was inflated “as it is not enough to make wild allegations in a failed bid to tarnish the image of a transparent administration.”

APC insisted that “Governor Amaechi, instead of being criticised, should be commended and congratulated for ensuing that our funds are judiciously utilised and that contractors do not defraud the State by means of poor quality road projects.”

The party advised Rivers PDP Chairman Felix Obuah and his spokesman Jerry Nedam to stop ridiculing themselves through frivolous allegations that cast them in the mould of blind critics and present PDP as a party of jokers and unserious minds. “This does not in any way do any good to PDP in its doomed mission to gain a foothold in Rivers State as we count down to the 2015 general elections, at which PDP will be totally rejected by Rivers people,” APC said in the statement.

Amaechi’s LG Tour a Political Masterstroke —APC •Accuses PDP of Naivety

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has been commended for embarking upon a ‘Meet the People Tour’ of the 23 Local Government Areas of the state with a view to assessing the impact or otherwise his government has made in various communities. The commendation was made by the State Chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which described it as a political masterstroke.

“This is yet another big plus for Governor Amaechi, who already has various remarkable feats to his credit. His decision to embark upon this tour demonstrates that he knows his onions as far as governance is concerned. It is, to say the least, a political masterstroke as it has further endeared him, his administration and the All Progressives Congress to the people of the grassroots,” APC said in a statement issued Wednesday in Port Harcourt by the State Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya.

The party berated the State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for reading political undertones into the tour, saying that the party’s criticism of the well-intentioned tour smacks of mischief and naivety.

APC said: “Governor Amaechi clearly explained the purpose of the tour, saying, ‘The purpose of my visits to these communities is to bring government closer to the people and discuss ways to ensure more development impact on the grassroots dwellers before the expiration of my tenure in 2015.’ The Governor also said, ‘This visit is not for campaign. We are here to discuss what will benefit the people at the grassroots. I am interested in the politics of development.’

“It is therefore mischievous for PDP to allege that the tour is driven by ill- conceived motive and an attempt to intimidate and influence the electorate ahead the 2015 elections. The sinking PDP is being naïve by equating a meet-the-people tour with an attempt to intimidate and influence the electorate even when the time for electoral campaigns is still far away. PDP is simply afraid of its shadows, fully aware of the doom awaiting it in the 2015 elections, having already been rejected by the good people of Rivers State.”

Rather than campaigning through the back door, Governor Amaechi, according to APC, used the tour to present his scorecard and developments invested in the communities visited while allowing the communities to make an input into governance.  

“Contrary to the bad politics of PDP that criticised the tour out of ignorance of what governance is all about, the good people of Rivers State are happy with Governor Amaechi for embarking on this tour as it has presented the Governor with an opportunity to interact with the leaders of the various communities visited, devoid of any partisan politics as both PDP and other smaller political parties like it in the State also participated in hosting and welcoming the Governor to the various communities. PDP should commend the Governor instead of unwarranted malicious criticisms which expose the party as lacking in seriousness,” Rivers APC said