Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, on Saturday accused the Peoples Democratic Party of undermining its governors.
The governor also denied being against President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the 2015 presidential race.
Amaechi spoke in an interview on the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Service, monitored in Kaduna on Saturday.
He accused the leadership of the party of not consulting enough, noting that, "It seems as if the party wants to undermine the governors. What you see in the Nigeria Governors Forum is a deliberate attempt to cause confusion and division among the governors."
He also said he had no ambition for the 2015 Presidency for now adding that his priority was to concentrate on developing Rivers State.
Besides, the governor reiterated that he would not defect from the Peoples Democratic Party to another party despite his current travails.
"I am not defecting; I am in court with the PDP because I don't think they followed due process in taken a decision against me. I want the court to determine whether what they did was right," he said.
He added that those supporting him were not doing so because they want him to be president in 2015.
Rather, Ameachi, whose responses to questions were interpreted in Hausa for the listeners, argued that his supporters believed that governors had the right to choose their leader in the governors' forum.
He maintained that it would be wrong for anybody to think that he would run for the 2015 elections now.
"It will be wrong for anybody to say he will run for 2015 elections now. Why won't you wait till 2015, my focus for now is how to govern Rivers State and ensure that the people benefit from my administration," he said.
On the mini convention of the PDP which was stopped by a Federal High Court Abuja on Friday, the governor said the party had to resolve the crises rocking the party before the convention.
"That (convention) will not solve the problem. First and foremost, they shouldn't continue with a mini convention without arresting the situation. They have to arrest the current situation of things in the party because if that is not done, the problems will continue within the different camps," he said.
Asked whether he would support President Jonathan in 2015, Ameachi said, "Has Goodluck Jonathan told you that he wants to run? If he wants to contest, he will call me and inform me and then we will look at it.
"I don't understand what you mean by I come from the same zone with the President and if there is any reason why I cannot support him. I have told you before that the President is yet to say whether he wants to run or not.
"You want me to become a prophet and determine that the President will contest. What if I say today that I will support the President and then, tomorrow the President says he is not contesting? Let the President inform me that he wants to contest. Don't accuse the President of doing something that he is not responsible for. If he decides to contest, he will call those that he wants to support him. That would be the time that we will discuss the issue."
He added it was the responsibility of the leadership of the party to address the internal wrangling in the PDP.
"There are some disagreements in the party and it is affecting the internal cohesion of the party. It is the responsibility of the leaders of the party to address the problems," he said.
Punch
No comments:
Post a Comment