PDP wants to weaken governors-Ameachi

Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi,
on Saturday accused the Peoples
Democratic Party of undermining its
governors.

The governor also denied being against
President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the
2015 presidential race.
Amaechi spoke in an interview on the
Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting
Service, monitored in Kaduna on Saturday.

He accused the leadership of the party of
not consulting enough, noting that, "It
seems as if the party wants to undermine
the governors. What you see in the Nigeria
Governors Forum is a deliberate attempt to
cause confusion and division among the
governors."

He also said he had no ambition for the
2015 Presidency for now adding that his
priority was to concentrate on developing
Rivers State.
Besides, the governor reiterated that he
would not defect from the Peoples
Democratic Party to another party despite
his current travails.

"I am not defecting; I am in court with the
PDP because I don't think they followed
due process in taken a decision against me.

I want the court to determine whether
what they did was right," he said.
He added that those supporting him were
not doing so because they want him to be
president in 2015.

Rather, Ameachi, whose responses to
questions were interpreted in Hausa for
the listeners, argued that his supporters
believed that governors had the right to
choose their leader in the governors'
forum.
He maintained that it would be wrong for
anybody to think that he would run for the
2015 elections now.

"It will be wrong for anybody to say he
will run for 2015 elections now. Why won't
you wait till 2015, my focus for now is
how to govern Rivers State and ensure
that the people benefit from my
administration," he said.

On the mini convention of the PDP which
was stopped by a Federal High Court Abuja
on Friday, the governor said the party had
to resolve the crises rocking the party
before the convention.

"That (convention) will not solve the
problem. First and foremost, they shouldn't
continue with a mini convention without
arresting the situation. They have to arrest
the current situation of things in the party
because if that is not done, the problems
will continue within the different camps,"
he said.

Asked whether he would support President
Jonathan in 2015, Ameachi said, "Has
Goodluck Jonathan told you that he wants
to run? If he wants to contest, he will call
me and inform me and then we will look at
it.

"I don't understand what you mean by I
come from the same zone with the
President and if there is any reason why I
cannot support him. I have told you before
that the President is yet to say whether he
wants to run or not.

"You want me to become a prophet and
determine that the President will contest.

What if I say today that I will support the
President and then, tomorrow the
President says he is not contesting? Let the
President inform me that he wants to
contest. Don't accuse the President of
doing something that he is not responsible
for. If he decides to contest, he will call
those that he wants to support him. That
would be the time that we will discuss the
issue."

He added it was the responsibility of the
leadership of the party to address the
internal wrangling in the PDP.

"There are some disagreements in the
party and it is affecting the internal
cohesion of the party. It is the
responsibility of the leaders of the party to
address the problems," he said.

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