Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has declared that former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, “is not the problem of the PDP”.
He also said for Nigerians to surmount their current challenges, they should vote for the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to pilot the country’s affairs.
Amaechi said the APC would restore sanity to the country’s polity and urged Nigerians to vote out the PDP in next year’s elections.
He said the APC would not be a religious party, and criticised those attempting to fan the embers of religion in the country’s politics ahead 2015, saying that leadership transcends religion and ethnicity.
He spoke when Knights and Ladies of St. John International, Port Harcourt Grand Commandery paid him a solidarity visit in Government House, Port Harcourt on Thursday.
“The reason we broke away from PDP to APC is not basically because of Bamanga Tukur. Bamanga Tukur is not the big issue. There were issues we raised before the President and he has not addressed them. He said ‘oh I have removed Bamanga Tukur, so you people can come’, come to do what, there are other issues, there are issues of constitutionalism, there are issues of accountability, we raised them before Mr President and those issues have not been addressed and we think that the only way to address them is through you Nigerians, the President is not our problem, we are our own problem.
“For me, I am not doing religion because first and foremost, APC will not be a religious party. I have attended all APC meetings since we joined. We have never discussed Christ or Mohammed”.
He lamented the excesses of the ruling party and the resurgence of violence and criminality in Rivers State since Police Commissioner Mbu Joseph Mbu was deployed to the state.
“So the only way to stop this crime (and other PDP excesses) is to vote out PDP. So when you pray, you should first pray to God, ‘God help us to vote out PDP’, he said.
He lambasted the Federal Government for its autocratic tendencies and accused it of taking deliberate steps to stifle the voice of government at other levels.
Addressing his guests, he said: “Let me thank you for coming and the support that I have received from the Grand Commandery (of the church) and say to you that transition politics is always like this. It’s likened to takeover of power in a democratic process and nobody can allow you take over power from him in a peaceful manner despite being in a third world economy. In a third world, there are rules but they are not obeyed. There are rules, if you follow the rules there will be no noise.
“The reason politicians are not serving you is because you are not yet our masters. You have lost the voice to choose who is your leader and since you didn’t choose your leader, the person doesn’t see you as the employer, that’s the thing you must fight in 2015.
“Don’t let anybody confuse you, they have been going from church to church, telling you it’s Christians versus Muslims. No, no, no, the money they are stealing does not have Christian or Muslim emblem.
“So it’s not Christ versus Mohammed. They are using that to hoodwink you to continue to siphon our resources. Their wives are building houses all over, hotels all over and we are watching. So, if anybody comes to tell you it’s South versus North, Mohammed versus Christ, the person is lying. He wants to use that to collect more money”.
Amaechi predicted that there would be steady growth of the state economy if the electorate would vote for APC, assuring also that there will be security of lives and property in the state.
He reiterated that he left PDP to join APC because the issues the G7 governors had raised before President Jonathan were not addressed by the President.
Earlier, the Grand President of Knights of St. John International, Port Harcourt Grand Commandery, Brig-General George Ikioumoton, said they came to demonstrate their loyalty and support to Amaechi as he faces his current political opposition and persecution.
They urged him to remain strong and focused in the face of opposition, placing his trust in God.
Ikioumoton said: “As Knight, and a Christian, we are familiar with the Book of Nehemiah especially (Neh. 3:4-5). At a point of trying to rebuild the Jerusalem wall after the exile, Nehemiah encountered many man-made distractions and obstacles. But knowing too well that he was on a divine assignment, he continued unperturbed till he completes his assignment – to the glory of God. Nehemiah stands out today in scriptures as the man who rebuilt the Jerusalem wall during his generation.
“We urge you to continue the good work you have been doing in the state and beyond and to ensure that you complete them, no matter the obstacles and difficulties put on your way by your opponents. ‘History will vindicate the just’, remain focused and trust in God.
“It may be necessary to remind you that our mother the Church encourages us to be active in politics so as to bring Christian principles, loftier morality to bear in what used to be called a dirty game so as to make it a very clean game. Please, do not get distracted and in all your ways remember God and He will guide your steps”.
He presented to Amaechi a symbolic sword and a rosary book with which to gain victory in his travails, and also commissioned him as a ‘Colonel’ of District 48 of the Grand Commandery.
