Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the former Governor of Rivers State Rotimi Amaechi to resign his position as Minister of Transportation as he does not have any moral justification to remain in office as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, following what the party described as stunning revelations indicting him of attempt to bribe some Justices of the Supreme Court.
“Mr. Rotimi Amaechi is facing serious accusations by two Supreme Court Justices of being behind their travails, including the raiding of their residences, arrest, detention and carting away of various vital items and documents as well as blackmail by operatives of Department of State Security Services,” the PDP said in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
The PDP also recalled: “According to the Justices, Rotimi Amaechi had approached them, demanding that Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Abia and Ekiti states election petitions must be delivered in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC.)
“In his revelation earlier, Hon. Justice John Iyang Okoro, JSC, had stated that Mr. Amaechi told him that the President told him (Amaechi) to inform him that they (the APC) must win their election appeals in respect of Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Abia states at all costs and that if APC lost in Akwa Ibom State, where he (Amaechi) sponsored the candidate.
“On his part, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta stated that his refusal at various times, to help the APC to pervert justice in governorship election disputes involving Ekiti, Rivers and Ebonyi states was responsible for his ordeal. In a letter dated October 18, which he forwarded to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed and the National Judicial Council, specifically fingered the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, to have attempted to bribe him, and that after the Supreme Court affirmed the Election of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Amaechi also called him on phone and said ‘Oga is not happy’.”
Chairman, Rivers State chapter of the PDP, Bro Felix Obuah, called on the relevant authorities to immediately commence investigation into these allegations, while calling on Amaechi to first step aside from carrying out national assignments in his capacity as a member of the Federal Executive Council, to allow for an uninterrupted and objective investigation by the relevant government security and anti-graft agencies.
The PDP Chairman further called on President Muhammadu Buhari to also relieve Amaechi of his position, pending the determination of the matter by the relevant agencies.
“Bro. Obuah believes that, to further prove his innocence of the various allegations, Mr. Amaechi should resign, cooperate and allow the process of his investigation by not sabotaging any of such efforts in getting to the truth,” the statement read.
The PDP Chairman explained that “although the party was shocked at the extent Mr. Amaechi went about attempting to steal the mandate of Nigerian electorate, particularly in the mentioned states, but that those revelations have vindicated the PDP in Rivers State, as it has consistently complained about the corrupt and undemocratic dispositions of Mr. Rotimi Amaechi and some of his APC folks.
“We demand thorough investigation into these stunning revelations by these honouable Justices of the Supreme Court and call on the accused (Amaechi) to resign immediately, as he lacks the moral rectitude to remain in office as a public servant, Obuah insisted.”