A ragging conflict is brewing over the multi billion naira Presidential campaign war chest believed to have been brought on the table by Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi who also doubles as the Director General of the Buhari/Osinbajo Presidential campaign team.
In the center of the storm are Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Alake, Spokesman, Lai Mohammed, and Rivers Information Commissioner, Ibim Semenitari.
Amaechi who does not trust Mohammad, and Alake for their perceived roles in his botched VP quest, wants his ally, Semenitari to watch over his money.
The Rivers State Governor is believed to have shelled out a princely sum of N19 billion to prosecute his VP slot ambition. The amount excludes the $3,000 dollars reportedly spent on each of the 3500 delegates (total of $10.5m or N1.9billion) that ensured the emergence of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as the Presidential candidate of the party.
‘’Don’t forget that this is politics and during the campaign for vice presidential slot, Amaechi received some raw deal from a section of the media with Alake and Mohammed as drivers of that anti-Amaechi campaign. So now he wants to work with his own people’’. A source said
The seed of discord was planted when upon his appointment as DG of the APC campaign train, Gov. Amaechi insisted on bringing his Commissioner of Information, Mrs. Semeritari into the matrix, a move which was perceived by Alake, the officially appointed Director of Media as a direct usurpation of his job description.
On his part, Alhaji Mohammed, APC Head of publicity is irked by the fact that Alake by his appointment was made to report directly to the DG of the campaign without recourse to his office especially as it pertains to sensitive public communication issues like press releases which Alhaji Mohammed insists he is in a better position to handle.
Conversely, while the duo of Mohamed and Alake bicker, Gov. Ameachi is entrenched in his choice of Mrs. Semeritari as the custodian of the media budget.
According to a source in the information commissioner’s ministry, “His excellency has full confidence in madam (Ibim Semeritari). She has been with him through thick and thin from the very beginning. She has been involved in his media activities and the funding has always been passed through her budget. She accounts for every kobo with loyalty and devotion. Moreover, if his Excellency is ever held to account for his lavish media budget, it is only madam that can provide the answers.”
Mrs. Semeritari is said to be particularly suspicious of Alake’s massive cash requisitions which she feels will end up siphoned for personal use.
Mohammed on the other hand is more particular about not allowing Alake erode his tight noose control over APC media expenditure.
Mohammed the former PRO of the then Nigeria Airport Authority now FAAN is insistent on Alake and Semeritari reporting to him directly thus giving him the latitude to handle an elephant chunk of the media budget.
He is said to be uncomfortable with passing his financial requisition through Mrs. Semeritari whom he considers a “small girl.”
While on the other hand he believes that Alake is coming into the job with a baggage.
Party insiders however believe that Alhaji Mohammed wish may as well be a tall dream as Gov. Amaechi has become introspective since the loss of the Vice Presidential slot with Mrs. Semeritari emerging as his closest confidant and strategist.
Observers say that Amaechi and Semeritari have an idea of the media practitioners and journalists they want to work with in furtherance of their future aspirations which the duo of Mohammed and Alake are extraneous to.
‘’The several interventions by Bola Tinubu and the promise of making Amaechi minister of petroleum have not changed his new attitude.’’
Culled from the correspondent.ng