The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned the six rebel lawmakers in the state not to go ahead with their alleged plot to hold an illegal sitting at the State Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the purpose of impeaching Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
The party in a statement made available to Blank NEWS Online on Monday, December 16, 2013 by its spokesman, Chief Eze Chukwemeka said, “this warning is necessitated by the credible information at our disposal to the effect that this inconsequential minority in a State House of Assembly of 32 members after failing this morning to be smuggled into the State House of Assembly by some hoodlums that will be dressed in Police Uniform by 6am through eastern by pass and guided by some GDI Officials has changed their line of action by concluding to sit at the Rivers State PDP Secretariat within the week staring from 17th December, 2013 to impeach the Governor and announce the self-proclaimed Speaker, Hon. Evans Bipi, as the acting Governor of the State while imaginary crimes would be used as an excuse by the EFCC to arrest Governor Amaechi. The resort to sitting at the PDP Secretariat, we understand, is occasioned by the failure of the rebel lawmakers to gain access to the State House of Assembly, to which the police have also denied the majority 28 lawmakers access”.
Continuing, the party said: “We have never seen where lawmakers sit in a party secretariat to carry out any business of the House and we wish to say in advance that any such action would be null and void and of no consequence whatsoever. We hereby warn Bipi and his co-conspirators to exercise restraint because there is a limit to rebellion. We also wish to call on the police to promptly seal off the Rivers State PDP Secretariat to prevent it from being used to perpetrate this illegality which, if allowed to be implemented, will trigger crisis of unimaginable proportions in the state and beyond”.
Eze alleged that Hon. Bipi, the self-acclaimed Speaker who expressed frustration on why the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mbu is no longer ready to play game boasted to some of his aides and admirers that they have been directed to impeach Gov Amaechi within 17th to 24th December, 2013 as he must not be allowed to celebrate Christmas in the Brick House (Government House) of Rivers State for whatever reason not minding whatever consequences it will bring to democracy in Nigeria and the people of Rivers State further stated that “this task is a task that must be implemented to please our masters in Abuja”.
Meanwhile, the APC Interim State Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, has described the statement credited to the sponsor of the rebel lawmakers, the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesome Wike, that the Rivers State crisis is Gov. Amaechi’s way of paying for underrating him as very sad and unfortunate.
“For the lack of a better word to use in the circumstances, Wike has by this statement exposed himself not only as a selfish person who elevates his personal interest above that of the entire Rivers State but also as an ingrate. For goodness sake, this is an individual who benefitted so much from Governor Amaechi and who was nominated as a Minister by Governor Amaechi, who stoutly defended him even when President Goodluck Jonathan queried his nomination. The good people of Rivers State now know that the state is plunged into this unnecessary crisis that has consumed resources that would have been used for the development and emancipation of the people of the state just because of an individual’s vindictive spirit,” Dr. Ikanya said.
The Rivers APC Interim Chairman advised Chief Wike to reflect on the good deeds that Gov. Amaechi has done for him and allow peace to prevail in the state, at least for the interest of the common man and the development of the state.