Loyalists in the camp of the governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, under the umbrella of the Rivers Peoples Forum (RPF) alleged that there are illegal attempts from the presidency to eject the governor from office and the group says it will defend against such attempts.
RPF said in a statement that there is a plot for minority lawmakers to remove Amaechi from office in a similar manner Alamieyeseigha was evicted.
According to the statement issued by Charles Bekwele on behalf of the group, there is a “certain interest within the Presidency” that is working to “illegally and unconstitutionally” remove Amaechi by serving him what has been code-named “the Alamieyeseigha treatment”.
The socio-political group alleged the presidency intends to put Amaechi on trial on what it termed “phantom charges” due to his disagreement with President Goodluck Jonathan.
The RPF alleged that “the plan is to thoroughly embarrass and disgrace Governor Amaechi, which they believe will serve as a warning and deterrent to other ‘dissident’ governors and dissenting politicians within the PDP who are perceived or considered to be opposed to President Goodluck Jonathan and his second term ambition.”
It is noteworthy to state that the disagreement between Amaechi and the president was aggravated when the former joined the other six notehrn governors to create the “New PDP”.
The group also alleged that the withdrawal of the security aides of the governor was part of the plans to illegally evict him out of office.
It would be recalled that Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, former governor of Bayelsa State, was removed from office by minority members of the House of Assembly in 2005 but despite fleeing abroad initially, he returned, was tried and jailed after being declared guilty of corrupt practices in office.
Hence, the group stated categorically that Rivers people will not accept and will vehemently resist any attempt, any move to illegally, and unconstitutionally remove Governor Amaechi from office as the elected governor of Rivers State.
“We were further compelled to alert the general public, Nigerians, the diplomatic community and the international community on this plot when we read a newspaper story that President Jonathan has completely ruled out settlement with Governor Amaechi but he’s ready for reconciliation with the six northern governors in the ‘new PDP’.
“Why Mr. President is ready and willing to settle and reconcile with six aggrieved northern governors in the ‘new PDP’, but has ruled out settlement and reconciliation with Amaechi, who is his brother from same South-South zone?”, the group queried.
It the group also warned: “as the umbrella body of all Rivers (State) people both at home and in the Diaspora, we want to state categorically that Rivers people will not accept and will vehemently resist any attempt, any move to illegally, and unconstitutionally remove Governor Amaechi from office as the elected governor of Rivers State.
“We freely gave Governor Amaechi our votes and our mandate to serve as governor for four years and he must be allowed to serve out his four year term” the statement further noted.
“For clarity and emphasis, we want to restate that any move to remove Governor Amaechi in any Kangaroo manner, not prescribed in the Nigerian constitution will be strongly and firmly resisted by the entire Rivers people with everything that we have.
“The plotters are hereby advised in their own good and for the good of the country to desist from such sinister plot. Rivers people elected Governor Amaechi and are indeed pleased with his performance and achievements. No one has the right to illegally boot him out of office because of petty political disagreements. Rivers people say no to impunity”, RPF warned.
This is following the July attempt made to remove Amaechi when five legislators who are loyalists to the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike converged on the Rivers House of Assembly but it boomeranged.