The Bamanga Tukur- led Peoples democratic Party (PDP) has said that as part of the party’s protocol, the suspended Governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi would require to write a formal letter to the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party for his suspension to be lifted but Amaechi has insisted “there will be no such thing”.
It would be recalled that the lifting of the suspension on Amaechi is one of the demands of the Abdullahi Baraje’s “New PDP” and the counter-request from Tukur’s faction during the reconciliation meetings which seems not to have been successful on September 15 in Abuja, was that Ameachi withdrew the case from the court.
Besides, the Presidency is still jittery over the party’s crises as “no truce” situation may jeopardize his much sought reelection into the most coveted seat in the country.
The source who is very close to the presidency also confided in a reporter recently that “the Presidency appeared at a loss on how to achieve a truce without losing face”.
However, the Tukur-led faction of the party had told the media through the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Abdullahi Jalo in Abuja that only until when the letter is transmitted before the NEC could determine Amaechi’s fate in the party.
But contrary to this, Amaechi’s Chief of Staff, Government House, Mr. Tony Okocha, however, said he would not write such an application requesting for his recall since his suspension was in contravention of the PDP constitution.
“There will be no such thing. He will not write any application to any person or group. We have approached the court for a proper interpretation of the party’s constitution”, Okocha stated.
Jalo had maintained that Amaechi’s suspension can only be handled and decided by the NEC as part of the party’s modus operandi after Amaechi must have settled all the issues involved in the suspension. And this Jalo said will have to be channeled through the chairman of the party, Tukur.
“To suspend a governor and recall him is an issue that can only be handled by the National Executive Council which is the highest ruling body of the party.
“It is beyond an individual to sit down and say okay, Amaechi, we have lifted your suspension. The NWC has to sit down to access the conditions given to Amaechi before they take it to NEC.
“No individual can decide that he be recalled. It is the National Working Committee that will make recommendations which will be taken to NEC; the NEC is the final body that can recall him.
“It is only the NEC that can decide his fate. The NEC will say whether they are satisfied with what he has written to them or not.
“You know the President and the Vice-President are seated in the NEC with the national chairman of the party. The governor has to approach the party through the national chairman”, he said.
Jalo, however declared that the Dr. Bamanga Tukur-led PDP was determined to make peace with all aggrieved members of the party but will have to take the decision to lift Amaechi’s suspension collectively.
Hence, Amaechi is expected to aid the process by of his recall into the party by through the letter to the National Chairman of the party but this he said is subjected to satisfaction of the NEC and eventual recommendations by the National Working Committee.
Nevertheless, it is noted that Amaechi had refused to withdraw the case from the court because of his fear that Tukur-PDP might expel him if he did.
Amaechi had gone to court to stop the PDP from expelling him from the party and he approached the court to stop the State House of Assembly from impeaching him.
Okocha further said: “You know that emancipation is not a gift of an oppressor. We are Nigerians and we know the legal system.
“That the matter is in court does not remove the possibility of an indoor settlement but we fear that the moment he (Amaechi) withdraws the matter in court, the PDP will leverage on that to expel him.
“It is a booby trap that nobody will want to fall for, given what we know the PDP for. The PDP does not stick to agreement.
“You know that they (PDP) cannot expel him now that the case is in court.”
Insisting that Amaechi had offended the party and that the party sanctioned him appropriately but Jalo said “Amaechi is part of us, part of us in the sense that he has not left the party for another party.
“He is still a member of PDP; we are still in the same family. In this regard, there were series of meetings between the aggrieved governors including Amaechi and the leadership of the party including the leader of the party that is the President.
“You can now say without mincing words that it is highly possible for the sanctions on Amaechi to be lifted” Jalo said.
A source revealed that the Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Tony Anenih, will lead a delegation of party leaders to the state soon as part of the efforts to mediate between the state’s aggrieved members
“What happens to politicians in Rivers State, people like (Nyesom) Wike who have staked all in pursuit of the President’s cause? What about other interests at stake. It is complicated.
The source had also queried the River State party crises thus: “I am afraid, it is not as easy as people think. What kind of power-sharing arrangement will assure Rivers people that all is well in a state so deeply divided?”
The National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, had declared Amaechi’s suspension as an effort to enforce discipline in the party when he stated thus: “The National Working Committee at its emergency meeting on Monday, May 27, 2013 considered the petition submitted by the PDP Rivers Executive Committee against Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Executive Governor of Rivers State for violating Articles 58 1 (b), (c ), (h) and (m) of the PDP Constitution following his refusal to obey the lawful directive of the Rivers State Executive Committee to rescind his decision dissolving the elected Executive Council of Obiokpor Local Government Area of Rivers State”.