Rotimi Amaechi, the former governor of Rivers state is one politician that cannot easily be intimidated. The former governor has been involved in a lot of controversies which has increased his popularity.
Amaechi became more popular when he pitched tent with the All Progressives Congress (APC), abandoning his kinsman from the Niger Delta region, Goodluck Jonathan, the former president of Nigeria.
One thing about the former governor is that he is someone who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
Let’s take a look at some of the controversies that Fayose has been involved in.
1. Election as governor:
His being a governor in 2007 was not attained on a platter of gold. It was rather a product of grueling legal encounter. Amaechi had won the PDP governorship primaries in Rivers state and was about standing for election when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the influence of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had substituted his name with that of his cousin, Celestine Omehia. Omehia contested the election in his place and won.
But Amaechi refused to give up as he approached the court in pursuit of his case. Some months later, he was favoured by the Supreme Court. He was declared winner by the court and ordered to be sworn in.
2. Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) Crisis:
In 2013, Amaechi was re-elected as chairman of the Forum. He had won with 19 votes to defeat his main challenger, former Plateau state governor, Jonah Jang, who had 16 votes.
The NGF was thrown into crisis when the 16 mainly PDP governors rejected the outcome of the election and went on to form a faction of the NGF. While a group of governors said Amaechi was their elected chairman, others, made up of mainly Jonathan loyalists, claimed that Jang was the chairman.
3. His aircraft grounded:
In June 2014, Amaechi’s chartered jet was prevented from leaving Kano International Airport by Nigerian Airspace Management Agency. The former governor had gone to the state to pay a condolence visit to the then governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso over the death of the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero
Also, the chartered aircraft that brought the ex-governor to Akure, the capital of Ondo state, was grounded on the orders of federal aviation authorities.
4. Soldiers ambushed him:
The ex-governor was ambushed by security operatives in Ado-Ekiti on his way to attend the final rally of his party, the APC, ahead of the governorship election in the state. Speaking to newsmen in Lagos the ex-governor said the soldiers who were acting on ‘order from above’, physically harassed and threatened to kill him.
Recounting his ordeal, he said he had landed safely at Akure airport and on his way to Ado Ekiti, he sighted about 15 soldiers, who corked their guns and took positions as soon as they saw him.
5. Controversy with Patience Jonathan:
The feud between Patience and Amaechi is no longer news. In 2014, Amaechi claimed that Patience was angry with him because he refused to share Rivers state money with her. According to him she had asked that state funds be corruptly shared with her but he refused.
In his words: “The quarrel between me and the wife of the President is because she said I should bring your money, Rivers people money and share with her.”
6. Controversy on the Looted governor’s house in Rivers:
Barely 48 hours after he was inaugurated as the fifth governor of Rivers state, maechi’s successor, Nyesom Wike announced that it will take him up to three months before he could enter into Government House, Port Harcourt, as a result of the level of looting of furniture, facilities and cars by the past administration of Amaechi. He alleged that an inspection of the Government House, Port Harcourt revealed that all the bullet proof doors, furniture, crested carpets, curtains and windows had been stolen by the former administration.
In reaction, Amaechi dismissed the allegations describing it as another cheap smear campaign and ploy to siphon billions of naira from the state’s treasury under the guise of renovating a ‘vandalized’ and ‘looted’ Government House.
7. His ministerial nomination is being opposed:
This is the latest trial the governor is facing. Ameachi is one of the ministerial nominees of President Muhammadu Buhari. The trouble began when the Port Harcourt-based “Integrity Group” petitioned the Senate asking that Amaechi should not be confirmed as a minister, accusing him of enriching himself with the state’s money while he was governor.
The inability of the Senate committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions to submit report on the petition against him, has stalled his screening which had been scheduled for Wednesday, October 14. Meanwhile, Senator Dino Melaye, chairman of the Senate ad-hoc committee on media and public affairs, yesterday assured that Amaechi would screened on Tuesday, October 20, as the report will be presented on that day.
Amaechi became more popular when he pitched tent with the All Progressives Congress (APC), abandoning his kinsman from the Niger Delta region, Goodluck Jonathan, the former president of Nigeria.
One thing about the former governor is that he is someone who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
Let’s take a look at some of the controversies that Fayose has been involved in.
1. Election as governor:
His being a governor in 2007 was not attained on a platter of gold. It was rather a product of grueling legal encounter. Amaechi had won the PDP governorship primaries in Rivers state and was about standing for election when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the influence of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had substituted his name with that of his cousin, Celestine Omehia. Omehia contested the election in his place and won.
But Amaechi refused to give up as he approached the court in pursuit of his case. Some months later, he was favoured by the Supreme Court. He was declared winner by the court and ordered to be sworn in.
2. Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) Crisis:
In 2013, Amaechi was re-elected as chairman of the Forum. He had won with 19 votes to defeat his main challenger, former Plateau state governor, Jonah Jang, who had 16 votes.
The NGF was thrown into crisis when the 16 mainly PDP governors rejected the outcome of the election and went on to form a faction of the NGF. While a group of governors said Amaechi was their elected chairman, others, made up of mainly Jonathan loyalists, claimed that Jang was the chairman.
3. His aircraft grounded:
In June 2014, Amaechi’s chartered jet was prevented from leaving Kano International Airport by Nigerian Airspace Management Agency. The former governor had gone to the state to pay a condolence visit to the then governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso over the death of the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero
Also, the chartered aircraft that brought the ex-governor to Akure, the capital of Ondo state, was grounded on the orders of federal aviation authorities.
4. Soldiers ambushed him:
The ex-governor was ambushed by security operatives in Ado-Ekiti on his way to attend the final rally of his party, the APC, ahead of the governorship election in the state. Speaking to newsmen in Lagos the ex-governor said the soldiers who were acting on ‘order from above’, physically harassed and threatened to kill him.
Recounting his ordeal, he said he had landed safely at Akure airport and on his way to Ado Ekiti, he sighted about 15 soldiers, who corked their guns and took positions as soon as they saw him.
5. Controversy with Patience Jonathan:
The feud between Patience and Amaechi is no longer news. In 2014, Amaechi claimed that Patience was angry with him because he refused to share Rivers state money with her. According to him she had asked that state funds be corruptly shared with her but he refused.
In his words: “The quarrel between me and the wife of the President is because she said I should bring your money, Rivers people money and share with her.”
6. Controversy on the Looted governor’s house in Rivers:
Barely 48 hours after he was inaugurated as the fifth governor of Rivers state, maechi’s successor, Nyesom Wike announced that it will take him up to three months before he could enter into Government House, Port Harcourt, as a result of the level of looting of furniture, facilities and cars by the past administration of Amaechi. He alleged that an inspection of the Government House, Port Harcourt revealed that all the bullet proof doors, furniture, crested carpets, curtains and windows had been stolen by the former administration.
In reaction, Amaechi dismissed the allegations describing it as another cheap smear campaign and ploy to siphon billions of naira from the state’s treasury under the guise of renovating a ‘vandalized’ and ‘looted’ Government House.
7. His ministerial nomination is being opposed:
This is the latest trial the governor is facing. Ameachi is one of the ministerial nominees of President Muhammadu Buhari. The trouble began when the Port Harcourt-based “Integrity Group” petitioned the Senate asking that Amaechi should not be confirmed as a minister, accusing him of enriching himself with the state’s money while he was governor.
The inability of the Senate committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions to submit report on the petition against him, has stalled his screening which had been scheduled for Wednesday, October 14. Meanwhile, Senator Dino Melaye, chairman of the Senate ad-hoc committee on media and public affairs, yesterday assured that Amaechi would screened on Tuesday, October 20, as the report will be presented on that day.
