2023: ‘Tinubu Has Not Treated Amaechi Fairly’

An ally of the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, has accused the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of not treating (Amaechi) fairly.

Recall that Amaechi had come second in the APC presidential primary ahead of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and behind Bola Tinubu.

After the primary, Tinubu, who had consulted widely and met with top politicians, is believed to have sidelined Amaechi, choosing instead to work with his political enemy, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

Speaking to The PUNCH, a chieftain of the party in Rivers State, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Tinubu had not made an effort to reach out to Amaechi.

He said,” Do you see how the PDP is pampering Wike? It is not fair when they say Amaechi is lukewarm. Has there been any genuine effort to reach out to Amaechi to co-opt him into Tinubu’s campaign?

“Don’t forget that Amaechi was in Port Harcourt sometime, and he did ask his supporters to vote for the APC. He has never said otherwise, so why say he is lukewarm towards Tinubu?

“Our leader came second in the APC presidential primary. Wike also came second in his party’s presidential election primary but thereafter see how the party, even the presidential candidate of the PDP (Atiku Abubakar), is sending people to him.

“But have any of them, particularly from Asiwaju’s camp, reached out to him (Amaechi). The answer is no. See, Wike is restive, raising dust everywhere, yet he is getting attention, and they are trying to appease him.”

Faulting allegations that Amaechi is lukewarm to Bola Tinubu, the APC Chairman in Rivers State, Emeka Beke, said the party in the state was engrossed in mobilizing for its candidates in the 2023 elections.

He said, ”Well, I am not Amaechi’s spokesman, but as the chairman of the APC in Rivers State, we are going for mobilization from one local government area to another.

“We were at Omuma LGA today. Everywhere we go, we are speaking and speaking and selling our candidates at the state and the centre.

“We are speaking for Tonye Cole as our governorship candidate in the state and for Bola Tinubu at the centre. So who is talking about Amaechi being lukewarm?”