Rotimi Amaechi’s Chatham House speech on governance showed the difficulty in separating political manoeuvrings from technical governance.
Amidst an ongoing and bitter dispute with President Goodluck Jonathan and the structures of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to which he belongs, all eyes in Nigeria at the moment are on the rebel governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi.
In May, the young governor ran – successfully, and allegedly against the wishes of the PDP leadership – for re-election as chairperson in the powerful Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF). Shortly afterwards, he was suspended from the party – a move that was officially unrelated to the forum vote but rather over a local council issue. Political hostility since then has only intensified with other governors and political figures becoming involved in the political skirmishes amidst a whirlwind of accusation and speculation.
With a crisis in Rivers State and within the PDP as the backdrop, it was with great anticipation then that a packed out crowd awaited Amaechi’s speech at London’s Chatham House yesterday morning.
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