*He is not Responsible for APC Travails in Rivers
*Expresses Optimism that APC Candidates will be on the Ballot
Amidst insinuations in some quarters that the Minister of Transportation, Right. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi is behind the travails of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has said there is no truth in the allegations.
He also stated that Amaechi who served as the governor of the oil and gas rich Rivers State for 8 years and also as Speaker of the state house of assembly for another 8 years was not responsible for the present travails of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Peterside’s assertions is coming on the heels the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) publishing the names of candidates for the 2019 general elections without those of the party in the state.
Peterside stated this at the weekend while fielding questions from journalists on arrival at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Port Harcourt.
His words: “Nothing can be more spurious, laughable and childish than that statement by the governor of Rivers State. I am not taken aback at all because the governor is known to promote lies as truth. He has also acquired the status of a pathological liar. Wike is a man who concocts stories, distorts facts and presents half-truths as the truth. In this specific instance, there is no iota of truth in it. Rt. Hon. Amaechi has absolutely no hand in the matter. He is not a judicial officer, he is not an intelligence officer and he does not work for any of the intelligence agencies. I cannot understand the connection between the work of the intelligence agencies, the anti-graft agencies and the judiciary. There is absolutely no iota of truth in it. Wike claimed that transportation minister had conversation with somebody that he (Amaechi) was behind the CJN’s travails. There is no truth in it. It is the trademark of Rivers governor to concoct stories. Rivers people and other Nigerians know Wike for who he is. So, I do not believe that anybody will take him seriously”.
Peterside said that the challenge the APC in the state is experiencing is temporary and will soon be a thing of the past just as he expressed the optimism that the governorship and other candidates of the APC in the state will be on the ballot in the 2019 general election.
“I am very confident that APC governorship and other candidates will be on the 2019 election ballot. I know that the judiciary is an important component of the political process. You can’t talk about politics without talking about the judiciary or the role of the judiciary. So, my confidence is that ultimately this issue will be resolved, APC candidates will be on the ballot and run the election. And Rivers people will have options and I know that they will choose the candidates of the APC above the other political party.
“You know that the other political party has disappointed Rivers people on all fronts. What they have done in the past three and half years is that they have made more and more people lose confidence in the institution of government of Rivers State. They have embarked on outright lies, concocted stories and half-truths and Rivers people are indeed tired of the mess. The people cannot wait to get rid of the current government in the state and APC provides them that alternative. But unfortunately, we are going through our own challenges. Let me take advantage of this opportunity to appeal to all members of the APC to remain calm, confident, loyal and keep trusting the Almighty God. That the end of this tortuous journey will come and it will be to God’s glory. All hope is not lost; indeed no hope is lost. One thing I’m pretty sure of is that at the end of the tunnel there is light and it will be to God’s own glory”, he added.
According to the NIMASA helmsman who was the gubernatorial candidate of the APC in the 2015 general elections, the party has embarked on series of engagements to get all sides and different interests in the party to understand that it is in our collective interest to work together. It is in our interest to pursue the path of peace, unity and, of course, working for the common purpose. You cannot have a team if you are not working for a common purpose. If you have persons working at cross purposes you can never achieve results. That makes you a team and we are a team of patriotic and progressive citizens of Rivers State who want the best for our state as against our opponents in the other party who are self-serving and usually pursuing their own narrow opportunistic interests. That is where we are.
