Published
on September 8, 2022
A former Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP, and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the South-South, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has spoken on the possibility of former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, dumping the APC.
There has been a frosty relationship among the presidential aspirants who felt disappointed over the outcome of the APC primaries that took place between June 7th and 8th in Abuja.
It is rather obvious that the presidential candidate of the ruling party seems to have totally overlooked Amaechi and has turned his attention to the former Minister’s political rival, Governor Nyesom Wike, in what many political observers have described as ungodly romance.
Wike himself has been at dagger-drawn with the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, following his defeat at the presidential primaries and seems to have started working against the party’s chances of winning back power in 2023.
There are concerns that instead of reconciling some of the former aspirants who battled him for the party’s sole ticket, Tinubu and his camp have, for whatever reason, turned their attention to the Rivers State Governor, trying to lure him to the APC.
Initially, 23 aspirants bought APC’s nomination and declaration of interest forms, but nine stepped down for Tinubu shortly before the commencement of voting at the convention.
Tinubu defeated Amaechi, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and 12 others to clinch the sole ticket and since then the former Rivers State Governor has remained silent and somewhat unconcerned in the activities of the party, while major stakeholders of his party romance with his political rival, Wike, right under his nose.
This has led to rumours that Amaechi may dump the APC any time soon and maybe return to the PDP, a party he left in 2014, while Wike may seek solace in the national ruling party.
And speaking to DRILOGIST on Wednesday, Chief Eze, a long time ally of the former Rivers State Governor, said that everything is possible when it comes to politics.
Asked about any possibility of Amaechi dumping the APC for PDP or any other party, Eze told DRILOGIST that “In politics nothing is rocket science. Anything can happen in politics.
“At the moment, the fact is that Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is an APC chieftain and a key one for that matter. People continue to ask, is Amaechi considering leaving APC?
“Amaechi is not an ordinary member of APC, he is the soul of APC because without the part he played there may not have been APC as it is by today and asking if such a pillar is leaving the party or not shouldn’t be a question that should be disturbing anybody because whenever it becomes imperative for him to leave, it will be a world news event.
“Let me reveal that if it becomes imperative for Amaechi to leave, he will alert the leadership of the party and will out of respect discuss it particularly with President Muhammadu Buhari whom he considers as a father.
“At the moment, he needs rest after spending all his time to ensure that he gives his best to this nation and I am convinced that before the end of September, he will address the nation on what his next line of action will be.”
Speaking on whether Wike would be welcomed in APC if that becomes the Governor’s next step, Eze, added, “Wike is a Nigerian and APC is a political party and there is no discrimination or limitation on who should join or not join the party.
“Seriously, I am very convinced that Wike will never join APC after castigating both the President in the most despicable manner and has threatened to destroy the party in Rivers State, but if he decides to join the party, then he can qualify for an award of most shameless political leader of our time.
“What I can understand is that Wike is using some APC leaders as tools to negotiate for relevance with the PDP Presidential flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar on what he can get if the party wins by 2023.
“Wike joining APC will have some serious consequences which I am not ready to disclose at the moment but let us get to the bridge, then we can arrange on how to cross the bridge.”
