Why We Must Rally Round Amaechi – Tinubu

Leaderof the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN , Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu
has urged support for Governor Chibuke Amaechi of Rivers State from
the hierarchy of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,who he claimed,
have added publicbrawling to their achievements.
photo Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu
has urged support for Governor Chibuke Amaechi of Rivers State from
the hierarchy of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who he claimed,
have added public brawling to their achievements.
In a statement issued by his media office last night, Tinubu described
the ensuing crisis in Rivers State as an orchestrated plan that is in
line with the PDP's definition of democracy where minority opinion
prevails over majority. He thus warned that Nigerians must rally round
the embattled governor and chairman of the Nigerian Governors' Forum,
NGF, to ensure that democracy is not re-defined.
He cited the recent election for the chairman of the NGF and the quest
of five members of the Rivers State legislature to dominate the others
as illustrations of how far the PDP would go to achieve its aims even
against reason.
While urging Nigerians to rally round Amaechi, Tinubu traced the
governor's problem to the face off over ownershipof some disputed oil
wells between Rivers and Bayelsa States as part of thereasons for the
onslaught against Governor Amaechi.
"The PDP appears to have added publicbrawling to its list of
accomplishments.The self-proclaimed largest party in Africa has turned
into a fight club that employs the police as ushers for its matches,"
Tinubu said.
"There is no way the police and the small number of five lawmakers
wouldact so brazenly unless they receive instructions for their high
places. Nigerians must ask, Is this the way the President Jonathan
intends to transform Nigeria? By turning it from an imperfect
democracy into a perfect mess. A total lack of respect for
constitutional democracy is what we are witnessing. Governor Rotimi
Amaechi swore an oath to protect and serve the people of Rivers
State."
"My advice is that we should not leave Governor Amaechi to suffer his
fate alone. All true democrats must defend constitutional democracy
and true federalism. In what stable and functioning democracy can you
find a President or his agents bully a governor this way or violate
the federal constitution so openly with complete impunity?"
"Discerning minds must locate the present crisis in the suspected
injustice in the Bayelsa and Rivers State oil boundary legal battle.
For standing up in defence of the interest of his people, Governor
Amaechi became a marked person."
In some ways, this Rivers episode is unsurprising. Over and over
again, the PDP has attempted to scuttle fair elections and genuine
democratic processes. Undermining democracy has become a central plank
in the party's manifesto. What happened in the Rivers House is one
more reminder. PDP leaders hold democracyin contempt and will trample
it if giventhe slightest opportunity. If they invertthe relatively
small numbers involved in the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and the
Rivers State House, what they might do to general elections involving
such a large population as ours is a hard piece of wood to chew."
"If we continue in this way, we are heading for an encounter with fate
that will leave no one unscathed. These people need to realize they
can't lord over 150 million people as if they had replaced our
colonial masters. You cannot attempt to controlthe mind of every
person only to threaten, intimidate and assault people who do not fall
perfectly in line. Such a world is not a world of democracy. Such a
place is the land of elected dictatorship and a dictator is
unacceptable even if he initially gained office through the ballot."
"Perhaps we now know why the PDP issuch a poor steward of democracy.
It is hard to be a good democrat without knowing how to count properly
and this crew cannot count. During the NGF debacle, they claimed that
16 was larger than 19. Now in Rivers, they claim 5 outnumbers 27. If
they can't count, how can we count on them to improve the nation? If
they can't add, itis a mistake to rely on them to add anything good to
our lives. For reasonsbest known to them, they have tried topin the
Rivers governor to the wall."
"In doing so, they have turned Rivers into an embattled state. Those
of us living in other states should not be indifferent. What is
happening in Rivers today can come to your state tomorrow if the PDP
holds sway. Events in that state are but a symbol and a forecast. As
long as the current PDP leadership holds forth, we will have many
rivers to cross before this land sees genuine democracy."