Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike who is also the political arch-rival of Govrnor Rotimi Amaechi has threatened Amaechi to leave the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking to journalists in Abuja yesterday, Wike stated that he never betrayed the Governor, as earlier revealed by Amaechi. He added that he was one of the few people who believed and stood by the governor until the Supreme Court restored his mandate in 2006.
Amaechi had earlier said, “I lead the people of Rivers State and I will lead you. If they suffocate us in PDP and we need to move, we move!”
Daring him to do so, Wike retorted, “I don’t observe fasting; I have started fasting so that he would leave the PDP. Let us meet in the field. Let us convince the Rivers State people. Let him leave the PDP; he is getting too late. Let him leave now. Let us meet at the election.”
Wike stated, “When Amaechi was in Ghana, most people had given up the hope (that he would become a governor). I was chased by the EFCC.
“There was nothing that was not done to make me withdraw my support for Amaechi. I had everything with me to terminate Amaechi’s ambition.
“There was no offer that was not made to me, but I said ‘no’.”
The minister added that most of the people in Amaechi’s camp now did not support him when he was yet to emerge governor.
He said, “I know those who were in the night going to Omehia’s house (the governor of the state in 2007) to beg him to make them ambassadors.”
But the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, disagreed with Wike and maintained that the PDP would lose if Amaechi dumps the party.
Semenitari said, “That Governor Amaechi is loved, well respected locally, nationally and internationally is a known and obvious fact. The PDP would certainly lose a lot if Governor Amaechi ever leaves the party, which is more than anyone can say of the minister who incidentally is a beneficiary of Governor Amaechi’s benevolence.”