CHIBUIKE Rotimi Amaechi came to power amid the euphoria of achieving the unthinkable, then by dethroning his predecessor, Celestine Omehia, via litigation. By that, he launched himself into instant
recognition. Rivers State is, of course, a natural platform for any governor, who desires glory, to shine. It is a state enriched by nature and the nation appreciates that well judging from the allocations that flow monthly from the federal level to the state.
Interestingly, Amaechi has always cut a picture of a politician with a promising future; he has age on his side. He has been riding high politically both in Rivers State and at the national level until the present event. But how did all this begin?
First, a governor with a strong character like Amaechi, could easily be located in a crowd and it is on that strength that he became the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF). With that opportunity, Amaechi seemed not to have learnt early that humility and diplomacy are two great virtues that smart politicians deploy too often to excel. There have been copious media reports that portrayed him as self-opinionated being the chairman of the Governors’ Forum. There were reports too that the Governors’ Forum under Amaechi was determined always to ride roughshod over the Presidency on state matters. Indeed, the forum headed by Amaechi never pretended to work in tandem with the Presidency on national issues or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to which he belongs. The forum has on many occasions, caused even President Jonathan to rescind many decisions he had made on governance.
The NGF became a power base with cult-like disposition in its operations. The forum carried on in a manner that made the Presidency looked uncomfortable and weak. The president, for instance, must consider the interest of the governors before taking crucial decisions in some cases. Even the ruling PDP never had it smooth with Amaechi on party matters. Situations became tough for the PDP when Amaechi allegedly mobilised his colleagues with an attempt to force the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, to rescind his decision on the suspension of the Adamawa State executive council of the party, for instance.
Dr Azubuike Ojiakor, a public analyst and a PDP stalwart based in Port Harcourt, told Sunday Tribune that the inability of Amaechi to decode power game and marry it with forbidden attributes in politics as a leader has been the cause of his perceived confrontation with the power that be in Nigeria. Ojiakor may not be far from being right, as widely reported, because efforts were made unsuccessfully to ensure that Amaechi and the PDP leadership sit on a round table to resolve areas of differences between them. Yet, situation was degenerating in PDP on a daily basis with solutions not in sight. It got worst amid reports that Amaechi and the governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, had a common interest in Jonathan’s seat in 2015. Though denials were made by the duo, later events would suggest that there might be some truths in the claim that they could be contesting against Jonathan in 2015.
It was said that the need to effectively checkmate Amaechi and show his promoters that the Presidency was not weak and could withstand the onslaughts from the NGF and even throw devastating punches of its own led to the current face-off. Alhaji Shettima Umar Bullus, a close confidant of the PDP National Chairman, disclosed that the need to put Amaechi properly in his place made the Presidency to break the NGF. Bullus said the moment the PDP Governors Forum was formed, the game was up for Amaechi, as he had lost considerable power to the leader of the PDP Governors’ Forum.
Therefore, Amaechi’s woe started the day the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, came on board as the chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, an umbrella that covered 23 governors. Since then, events meant to put the Rivers State governor in greater troubles started breaking in rapid progression. The worst came when an Abuja High Court paved the way for emergence of Felix Obuah as the chairman, Rivers State PDP, after outlawing the former executive officers.
Earlier in the week, Obuah and his team visibly demonstrated a mandate to weaken the power base of the Rivers State governor and possibly prepare avenue for his early exit from power. If the ultimatum Obuah issued to Amaechi to explain issues involving the aircraft grounded by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) did not suggest that, there was no mistaking the real motive behind the suspension of the 27 out of 32 members of the state House of Assembly by the Rivers State PDP. Indeed, the resolve by the PDP to declare vacant the seats of the suspended members meant that most of them were at the verge of being expelled by the party.
In succinct terms, the ongoing friction between Abuja and Port Harcourt is a reminder to what played out between Jonathan and Timpre Sylva, the erstwhile governor of Bayelsa State not too long ago. The cold war between the president and former governor was to consume the latter.
But it appears Amaechi and his foot soldiers, for now, are banking on the court to provide a way out. A reprieve came their way last Monday when a Port Harcourt High Court granted an order of interim injunction, restraining the PDP in Rivers State from suspending 27 members of the state’s House of Assembly. By implication, the action by the Rivers’ legislators has left the battle between the Presidency and Amaechi hanging, while all hands would be on deck in expectation of the next move by either side.
But the clock will continue to tick for the two gladiators. Though it may appear that Amaechi has time and space to contend with, emerging trends in Rivers State, however, suggest that he has two options left to determine his survival. The first is to willingly quake and then seek the face of the Presidency. The other option is for him to fight on hoping for a miracle to confront his formidable adversary. But whatever the decision might be, it is certain that the scuffle will claim a victim, unless people of goodwill make spirited intervention to douse the flame.
Culled from: Nigerian Tribune
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