Why I’m fighting Jonathan, by Amaechi

From CHRIS ANUCHA, Port HarcourtRivers State Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has  again given reasons for not supporting  President  Goodluck Jonathan’s  2015 political ambition.

Amaechi, who is  also Chairman of  Nigeria Governors’ Forum(NGF), said  the Jonathan administration has failed  South-South  where the President hails from.

Consequently, he urged the youths not to emulate the national leadership as represented by the President. “Nigeria’s leadership is not worthy of emulation by the youths,’’ he said.

He spoke yesterday at the Rotary Youth Leadership Award  ceremony held at the State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) in Port Harcourt.

Amaechi, who also reacted to the call by the Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan,  for all the South-South  states to support  President Jonathan’s re-election bid, said he would not back  what is bad, citing poor condition  of federal projects as his reason.

He said if the leadership was right, the South-East road which cuts across the South –South states would not be in its present poor condition.

The governor also  condemned the role  played by the state’s Police Commissioner, Mr.  Mbu  Joseph Mbu, in the  Rivers political crisis.

According to Amaechi,  Mbu  can  carry out  his  functions as a police officer, the way he is  doing in the state , in  countries like, Syria, Iraq  and  Afghanistan.

He said: “Only countries like, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan would such a police commissioner be allowed in office, after  the Senate had passed a resolution, calling for his removal.”

Recall that Amaechi and President Jonathan had been at daggers drawn over the speculated vice presidential ambition of the governor. Amaechi is speculated to be warming up to contest the 2014 presidential election as running mate to Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido.

Besides, the Presidency may not be comfortable with the Amaechi leadership of the NGF, which party sources said he is using to oppose the Federal Government.

In a bid to nip Amaechi’s much speculated 2015 ambition in the bud and whittle  down his influence in NGF, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) Governors’ Forum was formed and it is being led by Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio.

Efforts were also made to stop Amaechi’s re-election as NGF chairman. When he eventually won the exercise held in May this year by 19 votes to 16, the party and the Presidency refused to recognize him.

Instead, his rival, Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang, who scored 16 votes, was recognized.

It is also believed  that  the exclusion of Amaechi’s acolyte,Chief  Sam Sam Jaja from contesting for the position of deputy national chairman of the PDP at the August 31, 2013 national convention in Abuja was part of the reasons  seven PDP governors and other party chieftains walked out of the convention. Since then, the  party had been plunged into crises.

Culled from The Sun News Online.