Beti Onu, Anambra
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The relationship between the Presidency and the Rivers State governor, Chibuike Amechi continues to worsen with each passing day, the latest being the purported threat by the tipped running mate to retired Muhammadu Buhari, the anointed Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to cause civil disobedience and form a parallel government if the President Goodluck Jonathan rigs his way to power in 2015.
The said threat, it was gathered, is a source of worry in Anambra State where the soured relationship has spread fears to the State Chapter of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) which has cleared the brother in-law to Amechi, Mr. Dozie Nwankwo who is challenging a former Chairman of Electoral Sub-Committee in the 2005 National Political Reforms Conference, Chief Mike Nkwocha and Okagbue Onochie for the Anaocha, Njikoka and Dunukofia Federal Constituency seat come February 2005.
Loading ...The defection of Amechi’s in-law from Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) few months ago to APGA has not gone down well with top echelons of the party and pro-Jonathan groups which interpret the presence of Mr. Nwankwo in the party’s election to the National Assembly as a negation of the support of the APGA to President Jonathan’s re-election bid.
Reacting to the threat by Amechi against the Presidency, the spokesman of Anaocha, Njikoka and Dunukofia Federal Constituency, Dr. Emmanuel Nweke pointed out that it is a bad omen for the Igbo race at a time the Igbos are being wooed to give Jonathan a massive support for his re-election bid.
Dr. Nweke likened the Amechi’s threat to Nwankwo, his brother in-law’s application of seeming destructive politics against his kinsmen including the Deputy Governor, Nkem Okeke whose wife, Mr. Nwankwo’s camp is fingered in concocting the rumour that the governor’s wife, Chief Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano slapped his wife.
Alluding to a statement credited to one Comrade Emenike Sunday, leader of APGA Greater Tomorrow for Good Governance,
Dr. Nweke expressed worry that Emenike saw nothing wrong with the implication of the face-off between the Presidency and Rivers State governor, Mr. Nwankwo’s in-law, when he said “it is not an offence for Mr. Nwankwo to use his relationship with the Rivers State governor to enrich himself and oil his campaign train.
He quoted Comrade Emenike as advising Mr. Nwankwo’s detractors to face their business as according to him, “Mr. Nwankwo is still young and even if he fails in his aspiration for 2014 race for House of Representatives seat for Anaocha, Njikoka and Dunukofia Federal Constituency, he is likely to find favour with his sister’s husband, Amechi who is tipped to become the Vice President of Nigeria under the hoped General Muhammadu Buhari government come 2015.”
Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano was forced to react swiftly to the report that he is fraternizing with Amechi, through his in-law, saying he had never met him before.
The governor’s reaction, according to our source stems from the report in The Nitch newspaper, a fortnight ago, in which it was reported that the hawks in the Presidency have advised President Goodluck Jonathan to move against Obiano for hobnobbing with his political adversary, Amechi.
An impeccable source told our reporter that the wife of Mr. President, Dame Patience Jonathan who is from Rivers State and wants to anoint a candidate to run against Amechi’s preferred candidate as governor, has directed APGA to drop Amechi’s in-law, Mr. Nwankwo and drop him from the race and shop for another credible and grassroots-oriented candidate.
It was not certain if APGA has carried out the directive from the Presidency’s wife as Amechi’s in-law was among the aspirant cleared by APGA to contest the seat, a week ago. Others cleared were Chief Nkwocha who is also from Enugwu-ukwu like Nwankwo, and Okagbue Onochie.
The disturbing trend in APGA, we learnt, is the failure to screen Nwankwo out by the Tayo Sowunmi-led Screening Committee following the lingering altercations with the Presidency and the employment of the said threat of force, intimidation and subversion, a development, the Presidency is said not to be taking likely.
To assure the Presidency that governor Obiano is still loyal despite the report of fraternizing with Amechi and his in-law, Nwankwo, governor Obiano has continued to frequent functions organized by President Goodluck including following him to the last Pilgrimage to Israel.
Part of the reassurance to convince detractors that Obiano and APGA are in support of Mr. President’s re-election ambition, APGA has scheduled a Special Convention for next month to formally adopt Jonathan as APGA’s candidate for the February 2015 Presidential election.
However, it is yet to be seen how the governor and APGA will carry out the directive by the Presidency to drop Amechi’s in-law, but it was gathered that APGA is shopping for a replacement.
This we gathered, informed Mr. Nwankwo’s adoption of Plan B, whereby he was reported to have engaged the services of a State Chairman of the Labour Party, Engr. Sam Oraegbunam whose sack on alleged financial impropriety, among others, was a drawback to Mr. Nwankwo’s bid to defect to LP.
Already, pressure within Enugwu-ukwu, his own community and outside is being mounted on Mr. Nwankwo to drop from the race as, according to our source, all pointers indicate that Mr. Nwankwo would not have a rosy outing now that Presidency which has a working understanding with APGA is against his emergence.
