The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers says the opposition stance and “hostile attitude’’ of Gov. Rotimi Amaechi to President Goodluck Jonathan, is “shameful and “unacceptable’’.
Its Chairman, Mr Felix Obuah, said this at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday when he led chieftains of the party to a meeting with Jonathan.
A former governor of Rivers, Dr Peter Odili, the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, and acting Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Chibudom Nwuche, attended the meeting.
Others are: Land, Housing and Urban Development Minister Ama Pepple; House of Representatives former Deputy Speaker, Austin Opara; a former Transport Minister Abiye Sekibo; Sen. Lee Maeba and Sergeant Awuse.
The five anti-Amaechi members of the state House of Assembly; Amaechule Martins, Victor Ihunwo, Kelechi Nwogu, Evan Bipi and M.O. Chinola, were also at the meeting.
Obuah said the party chieftains were pained that Amaechi had remained the main champion of opposition in the country against the president and the Federal Government.
He alleged that the governor had repeatedly rebuffed all efforts aimed at making him show remorse and respect the president.
“We are pained and our heart bleeds today that the main champion of opposition in the country against Mr President, and indeed, the Federal Government of Nigeria is our own son, Gov. Rotimi Amaechi.
“We do not know what has come over the young man. Is it that he wants to destabilise the PDP before his eventual movement to his new party, having been handed over the ACN/APC structure in Rivers?
“Unfortunately, he has repeatedly rebuffed every effort by us and well-meaning Nigerians to make him show remorse and respect for the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’’ he said.
Obuah apologised to the president and his wife, Dame Patience, and pledged unalloyed loyalty of the party to the administration.
“Mr President Sir, we sincerely apologise to you and the First Lady on this sad situation.
“We appeal that as the saying goes, ‘you do not visit the sin of the father on the son’ and implore Your Excellency, to remember us in prayers.
“To demonstrate that Rivers people are not with Gov. Amaechi in this hostile attitude against Mr President, and our great party, we shall continue to support his suspension from the PDP by the National Working Committee until he retraces his steps from engaging in anti-party activities.
“As a party, Mr President, we in Rivers assure you that we will continue to support you.
“As our son-in-law, we guarantee that you can go home and sleep with your two eyes closed, believing that at all times, we will massively support and stand with you, come rain, come shine,’’ he said.
In an interview with State House correspondents, Odili said every party member must have the respect for constituted authority and the rule of law.
Odili said discipline must also be the guiding principles in order to successfully run “whatever system or societies we are running’’.
He assured that the crisis in the party would be resolved and people would stop portraying the state in bad light.
“The end will be for the family to resolve the matter in a way that will reflect the discipline and the proper organisation of the party.
“Human problems respond to human solutions when properly applied.
“I believe that as critical observers of the goings on, in no distant a time, you will appreciate that yes the new leadership of the party has dealt with the problem,’’ he said.
Wike blamed Amaechi for the crisis in the party at the state level, alleging that he did not have the party structure.
“That the governor does not have the party structure does not make him comfortable.
“So, all that you are seeing is a reaction to that and we believe that you cannot build a party around a personality,’’ Wike said.
Wike faulted media reports that the president shunned him and members of his camp at the Port Harcourt Airport last Saturday.
He claimed that the report emanated from the Rivers Government House.
