Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation and Leader of the All Progressives Congress APC in Rivers State has reacted to the recent crisis rocking his party at the National and state level.
This is the first time Amaechi is reacting to the crisis in the APC, a party at the verge of collapse.
Amaechi, in a statement from his media office on Tuesday, said he had resolved to adopt the approach of a bystander and steer clear of politics, as it affected the APC at the national and state levels.
He said that he was not aware of the reason behind the series of crises rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC), both at the national level and in Rivers State.
The Rivers APC Leader wondered why there is a crisis within the party that cannot be resolved, especially when all members of the party are “adults”.
“What is happening in APC, I don’t know; what is happening in Rivers State, I don’t know. What I’ve done is to keep away from politics. Even if I’m bothered, it’ll be internally.
“There’s nobody there (in the party) who is a child; we’re all adults. I don’t want to get involved in politics.
“Nigerians know me for being blunt and honest. Some see it as arrogance, some see it as being brash, whatever it is. What do I need to say that I have not said before? It’s internal dynamics of politics, it’s internal struggle.
At press time, there are more than 10 litigations bordering on the leadership crisis in the party at the Federal Capital Territory, Edo and Rivers states.
Amaechi warns ‘supporters’ who threatened to burn down Rivers in viral video
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has cautioned his supporters and Rivers State people to steer clear of violence as that is not the best way to resolve any issue.
Amaechi was reacting to two viral videos of his alleged supporters in Rivers State, one group inciting violence and the other dissociating him from the comments of the first group, stating that he is a man of peace.
A statement by his media team said Amaechi addressed the issue during a TV interview Tuesday, stating that the rule of law must be respected and upheld at all times.
He said, “First, if you say you’re my supporter, you’ll know that I don’t just respect the law, I fear the law. Breaking the law can put you in jail. Because of the kind of words used in that video, I may have to address it.
“I believe that no matter how angry you are, no matter how institutions are manipulated, a judge once said ‘I’m allowed to be wrong, that’s why you have the court of appeal, that’s why you have the supreme court.’ So if you think that what the state judiciary is doing is wrong, then you go to the court of appeal, you go to the supreme court and ensure you exhaust the due process. No matter your frustration, you don’t have the right to take the law into your hands.
“I’m responding to those videos is because they all said they are my supporters, those who made the comment and those who countered them. My message to everyone is to tell everybody who is supporting me to please remain calm and get out of violence. Never be part of violence because I will not defend anybody when you get violent.
“The law will take its course. Whatever is happening, if anything goes wrong in the high court, you go to the court of appeal, if anything goes wrong in the court of appeal, you go to the supreme court, but don’t you ever take the law into your hands, just like my children would never do that,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government says its attention has been drawn to a viral video by a group of All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters who did not disguise their rabid loyalty and sycophancy to the former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, in a statement said that the Rivers State Government is fully ready and determined to bring the full weight of the law to bear on anybody who threatens to breach the hard-earned peace and security which Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has worked so hard to entrench and sustain in the state.
The state government said, “While it is not in our place to advise people on who to support or otherwise, we take very strong exception to the provocative and incendiary language used by the leader of the group, where he threatened the peace of the state and invoked fire, brimstone, death and destruction on Rivers State and our dear Rivers people, should any unfavorable judgment and action befall their leader and master, Rotimi Amaechi in the current crises rocking the fractured Rivers APC.
“Let us also make it very clear to all those purveyors of misleading and wild narrative, that Governor Wike, is neither involved in the crisis rocking the fractured APC in Rivers State, nor has any interest in the emergence or determination of the leadership of the party whatsoever.
“We also take great exception to the wild and dangerous threats and intimidation made against the Judiciary in Rivers State, in utterances that can best be described as grossly inciting, offensive, and derogatory and treasonable.
“The Rivers State Government hereby warns that it will come down hard on any trouble maker, who desires to foment trouble in the state.
“We want to use this opportunity to put the Inspector General of Police and all the security agencies on notice to live up to their responsibilities by taking prompt action on what is obviously a clear case of treason by a group whose leader is well known in the country.”
