The Rivers State
chapter of the All
Progressives
Congress, APC,
has expressed
worry over the
life of the
governor of Rivers
State, Chibuike
Amaechi, days
after the State
Security Service,
SSS, issued him a
warning over his
public utterances.
The SSS had on
Tuesday warned
Mr. Amaechi and
other politicians
against making
inflammatory
statements
ahead of the
February
elections, saying
such statements
would no longer
be tolerated.
The warning
came after the
governor’s
remarks justifying
the decision of
some soldiers to
protest their lack
of equipment in
the fight against
Boko Haram
terrorists.
The APC, in a
statement by its
chairman, Davies
Ikanya, on Friday,
said the SSS
warning might be
a prelude to the
arrest and
possible trial of
Mr. Amaechi, who
is the Director
General of the
Muhammadu
Buhari Presidential
Campaign
Organisation.
Stating that the
action of the
organisation was
“totally
unacceptable,”
the party said the
governor’s fate, if
detained, might
not be different
from that of the
presumed winner
of the 1993
presidential
election, Moshood
Abiola, who died in
detention in 1998.
“We have every
reason to be
worried about the
safety of our dear
Governor in view
of the lessons of
history, especially
with regard to the
late Chief MKO
Abiola, who was
unjustifiably
detained, only to
die under
mysterious
circumstances
while in
government
custody,” it said.
“We are,
therefore,
reluctant to
dismiss reports in
various media
outlets
suggestive of a
threat to the life
of Governor
Amaechi in
connection with
his current
assignment as
Director General of
General
Muhammadu
Buhari Presidential
Campaign
Organisation.”
The APC
described the
action of the SSS
as “an attempt to
give a dog a bad
name in order to
hang it.”
It argued that
there was nothing
inciting, unguarded
or treasonable in
Mr. Amaechi’s
statement,
stating he was
merely expressing
his views on the
factors militating
against the
success of the
Federal
Government’s
war against Boko
Haram insurgents
in the North
Eastern part of
the country.
It explained that
the governor
merely blamed
the challenges on
corruption in the
military hierarchy
and not on
inadequate
funding as the
public is made to
believe.
“It is unfortunate
that, rather than
accept the
challenge of
fighting
corruption, the
Federal
Government has
chosen to ignore
the message and
go after the
messenger,” the
party said.
The APC warned
that nothing
should happen to
Mr. Amaechi for
patriotically
exercising his
freedom of
speech as a
citizen of Nigeria
in line with the
Constitution of
the country.
The party added,
“We understand
why the sinking
PDP-controlled
Presidency is
resorting to
intimidation as it
has read the
handwriting on
the wall in the
countdown to the
2015 presidential
polls.
“We, however,
wish to make it
clear that both
Gov Amaechi and
his supporters will
not be cowed but
remain resolute in
leading the
struggle to uproot
PDP from the Aso
Presidential Villa
as the first step
towards salvaging
Nigeria from the
doldrums
occasioned by the
inept 16-year
maladministration
of PDP.”
It said Nigerians
were yearning for
change and they it
would give them
that change by
ensuring that the
PDP-led
government was
peacefully voted
out come 2015.
The APC said, “If
any of our
security agencies
need to arrest
anybody, they
should start with
associates of
President
Goodluck
Jonathan,
particularly Chief
Femi Fani-Kayode,
President
Jonathan’s
Campaign Director
of Media and Dr.
Doyin Okupe, the
President’s Aide
on Public Affairs,
who has being
making inciting
and unguarded
statements both
against the vision
of APC and our
presidential
candidate, Gen.
Muhammadu
Buhari, whose
well-known stand
on corruption has
sent cold shivers
down the spine of
the present
corrupt leadership
in Aso Rock.
“We wish to
assure Gov.
Amaechi that he
has nothing to be
afraid of, as God,
who has in the
past years
protected him
despite the evil
machinations of
the PDP and the
Presidency, will
surely see him
through this time
around and
protect him from
every danger as
he leads the
patriotic battle to
rescue Nigeria and
Nigerians from
the vice grip of
PDP through the
instrumentality of
the ballot box.”
