PORTHARCOURT— GOVERNOR Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State has asked a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, to restrain the Felix Obuah-led Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state from probing his six years in office.
Governor Amaechi made the request on a day Felix Obuah,factional chairman of the state PDP, led a delegation to President Goodluck Jonathan to apologise over Amaechi’s conduct. The move is seen as rekindling of the fading feud between President Jonathan and the governor.
Following Governor Amaechi’s application, trial judge, Justice Godspower Aguma ruled that parties in the suit should maintain the status quo pending determination of the preliminary objection by counsel to the defendants.
Adjourning the matter to July 30 to rule on the issue of jurisdiction, the judge said no party in the suit has any right to carry out any action against the other, adding that the court would first decide on the issue of jurisdiction.
Vanguard gathered that the Obuah-led PDP in the state had set up a committee to probe some officials of the state government.
Rivers PDP fuels Jonathan, Amaechi rift
Meanwhile, members of the Rivers State faction of the Peoples Democratic Party opposed to the state governor, Chibuike Amaechi, yesterday rekindled the fading feud between President Goodluck Jonathan and the governor.
The delegation, which was led by Obuah, also included the former governor of the state, Dr. Peter Odili; the Minister of Lands and Housing, Amma Pepple and the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike.
The group, which appeared to be opposed to the reconciliation of Jonathan with Amaechi, told the President that they were in the State House to apologise to him and his wife on behalf of Rivers State and its people over what they described as “the many sins of Governor Amaechi” against the President and his administration.
Obuah, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, accused Amaechi of acting at variance with Rivers people’s wishes towards the President and his administration and warned that they would continue to keep him at bay until he repented.
Obuah on Amaechi
Obuah also described the governor as the main opposition figure in the country against Jonathan, showing hostility towards the First Family, thereby giving erroneous impression that they were against the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
“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.
Obuah pointed out that apart from showing disrespect to the office of the President; Amaechi was also attacking the state Police Commissioner for allegedly not doing his bidding as his predecessors did by using the Police to witch-hunt the governor’s perceived political opponents.
He said: “Your Excellency, Mr. Mbu is a God-sent commissioner of Police who has refused to be used to arrest and harass political opponents of the governor and charging them to court on trumped-up charges. We are very proud of his impartiality and we join well-meaning Nigerians in Rivers State to celebrate him as a core professional.”
Amaechi reacts
But Amaechi, in a reaction to the visit of the faction to the Villa, described the delegation as people who did not wish the state and its people well, by desperately trying to create problems where none existed for selfish reasons.
The governor, who spoke through his Information Commissioner, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, also described the factional chairman, Felix Obuah, as a busy-body, who has no business whatsoever parading himself as the Rivers PDP chairman, since a court had already recognised Chief Godspower Ake as chairman of the party in the state.
The governor noted that while there was nothing wrong for Rivers people to visit the President and discuss with him, it was shameful and ungodly for the so-called party elders to set sail on a mission to destroy and blackmail another person in order for them to be seen as angels.
Amaechi asked Obuah and his team to stop fanning the embers of disaffection since the President had said that there was no rift between them.
He pointed out that as a factional chairman, Obuah has no idea about the workings of the state and the challenges it was grappling with and warned him to stop making uninformed and inflammatory statements about the state.
“Amaechi, as chief security officer of the state, is well placed to comment on the security situation in Rivers State. Obuah and his agents of destabilization, who do not wish the state well, should keep quiet and wait for the verdict of history, which in all respects, will be very harsh on them,” the commissioner said.
Last Sunday, the President and Amaechi met at the Port Harcourt International Airport and embraced each other in a convivial atmosphere, prompting his aides to say that there was no rift between the two men.
Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting, Mr Obuah said that Amaechi would only be re-admitted to the party if he shows remorse and apologises to the leaders, whom he had offended. He ruled out the possibility of begging Amaechi to drop his threat of leaving the PDP for another party, saying that it was his right to do so under a democracy.
But former Rivers Governor, Dr. Peter Odili, in a reconciliatory tone, gave the inkling that the crisis rocking the party in the state would soon be resolved.
Odili said “There is no human problem without a human solution. What is important is for us to recognise that at any point in time respect for authority, respect for the rule of law, discipline are the guiding principles that will make us run whatever system or societies we are running in an orderly, disciplined fashion; in a way that will be inclusive for all stakeholders to contribute maximally to the well being and purpose of the organisation.”
On his part, Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, who pointed out that he had no personal disagreement with Amaechi, regretted that the governor had, however, failed to understand that the party structure was no longer under his control.
“That the governor does not have the party structure does not make him comfortable. So, all that you are seeing is a reaction to that and we believe that you cannot build a party around a personality.
It was not clear what the President’s reaction to the ‘apology’ offered by the faction was but a source said the entire discussion centred on how to return Jonathan for a second term.
Those at the meeting were the former governor the state, Peter Odili, two former deputy speakers of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche and Austin Opara; Senator Lee Maeba, Dr Abiye Sekibo, Seargent Awuse, Amma Pepple, Uche Secondus, Walter Opuene, Fred Kpakol, Kenneth Kobani and deposed Obio Akpor council chairman, Timothy Nsirim.
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