The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, to disregard the letter sent by ministerial nominee from Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi exonerating himself from corruption indictment against him.
Amaechi had reportedly sent a letter to Saraki, charging him to disregard the Rivers State Government White Paper on the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry for the investigation of his administration on the sale of valued assets and other related matters.
In a statement by Jerry Needam, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Chairman of Rivers PDP, Bro Felix Obuah, the party described Amaechi’s bases for seeking to set aside the White Paper report as baseless, illogical and lacking merit.
The statement further quoted the party as saying that Amaechi’s letter to the Senate President is an attempt to ignore the White Paper report, undermine the crusade against corruption and expose President Buhari’s fight against corruption as partisan and targeted at only members of the opposition and perceived enemies.
“The invitation and interrogation of the Senate Minority Leader, former governor of Akwa Ibom State, and one of the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Godswill Akpabio, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, while Mr Rotimi Amaechi, indicted for corruption is freely going about lobbying to become a minister, is a pointer that Buhari’s fight against corruption is targeted at the opposition and perceived enemies,” the party averred.
According to the statement, the Judicial Commission of Inquiry, which Amaechi refued to appear before, discovered monumental fraud perpetrated by him when he was Governor of Rivers State.
The party quoted Sections 66, (1) (h) and 147 (5) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to back up its claim that Amaechi was not qualified to be appointed as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The statement urged Amaechi to contact his lawyers for clarification about the provisions of the relevant section, if in doubt.