Scores of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Asari-Toru
and Degema Local Government Areas of Rivers State who dumped the party in
preference to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have told of the
ugly experience encountered in the hand of their erstwhile leader and
former Governor of the State, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi at his abode in
Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Speaking at the PDP Secretariat in Port Harcourt where the decampees were
received on Thursday, the leader of the APC decampees and former leader of
the Asari-Toru Legislative Assembly, Hon. Orolosama Amachree accused
Amaechi of coercing all ‘elected’ Chairmen and Councilors of the APC into
instituting legal action against the government of Chief (Barr) Nyesom
Ezenwo Wike as a gimmick to make the State ungovernable.
According to Amachree whose scores of supporters turned the occasion into
gyration amid singing and dancing, the violent activities of former
Chairman of Asari-Toru Council, Ojukaye Flag Amachree had plunged the area
into crisis which rendered his followers homeless, prompting them to flee
to Abuja where they hoped to get succor from Amaechi who is Rivers APC
leader and Minister for Transportation.
“But when we met Amaechi, our leader in Abuja and told him of our
predicament and requested his assistance to get accommodation, he bluntly
told us “If you don’t have accommodation why did you have to come to me.
Am I the landlord of Abuja?” said Amachree who is reputed for his prowess
in grassroots politics.
He stated that these actions among others underscored their resolution to
dump the APC which deceitfully promised to bring what he called a
‘fraudulent change’ to Nigerians.
“I was not convinced by anyone to decamp. No one gave me money and no one
lobbied for me and my brothers and sisters to leave the APC. PDP was my
root and because I was deceived to join the APC, I have retraced my step
and I am back home” he said, amid ovation.
He further disclosed of several meetings held by the APC where the
Minister of Transportation had warned and threatened severe consequences
for anyone who dares to defect to the PDP, stating that rather than carry
out promises made to better their welfare, the Minister had continued to
feed them with lies.
Among those who joined Amachree to the PDP are the APC Assistant Women
Leader in Asalga, Vice Chairman of PDP, Hon. Briggs and other Ward Exco
members.
Another ‘big fish’ caught by the PDP dragnet was the Vice Chairman of APC
in Degema Local Government Area, Hon. Samuel Ikiroma who stormed the PDP
Secretariat with hundreds of supporters.
The soft-talking APC leader who handed his councillorship certificate of
return to State PDP Chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah for destruction, said he
was now enjoying genuine peace since he took the decision to dump the APC.
“I am not defecting but coming back to my home. APC is nothing but a
deceit and pretence. I have never had peace while in APC but ever since I
took the decision last Monday, I now have better peace and rest of mind”
he confessed.
Receiving the decampees, Rivers PDP Chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah commended
Governor Nyesom Wike for creating the enabling environment which had
triggered the gale of defection of APC members into the PDP.
“If Governor Wike had not judiciously used the resources of the State to
the benefit of all, there would not have been this strong conviction to
join a progressive movement like the PDP.
“Amaechi and his cohorts sold the idea of what he called ‘change’ to
hapless people and they fell for it, thinking it is change but not knowing
it is nothing but danger”, Obuah said and gave assurance that all the
decampees would be given fair and equitable treatment as those already in
the PDP.
He said that a better acronym for the APC would have been ‘Lie Lie Party’
considering the tissue of lies which the party has continued to sell to
Rivers people.
Amid chants of ‘ Mba Anabara Agu’, Bro. Obuah further assured them that
they have missed and lost nothing by leaving the APC, adding that the
performing Governor of the State would stop at nothing to accommodate all
of them.
He explained that Governor Wike would have personally received them on the
occasion but for an unavoidable assignment which took him to Abuja. He
however announced that the Governor would be on hand to receive over 8,000
decampees from the APC on Thursday, April 13, 2017 in Port Harcourt.