Emerging report reaching Post-Nigeria, revealed that the All Progressives Congress, APC, may soon implode over who calls the shot in the party in Rivers State, ahead of the 2019 election.
The battle of wits in the State chapter of the party, is strictly between Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, and the Senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Magnus Abe, who is serving as a second term Senator.
While Amaechi, who is regarded as the Leader of the party in the State, sees himself as such and wields a strong influence over who would get the party’s ticket to contest the Governorship election in 2019, he may not have it easy.
The report revealed that the Aso Rock cabals are against Amaechi, over the ploy to single-handedly impose a Governorship candidate, ahead of 2019.
Recall, that he had his way in 2015, when he chose Dakuku Peterside, the current Director-General, DG, of NIMASA, but lost to Governor Nyesom Wike.
However, come 2019, a source familiar with the workings in Abe’s camp, said the Ogoni born Politician, sees himself as the right candidate to contest against Wike, in 2019.
According to a source within the APC in the State, Amaechi has made it clear he has “settled” Abe and Peterside, and owes them nothing. Abe on the other hand, is not leaving anything to chance.
In 2015, when he lost the ticket to Peterside, he took the outcome as a loyal party member, but those who know him very well, say that it was a major setback to his political career.
While some are quick to defend his concession to Peterside, on the basis that Amaechi was the sitting Governor at the time, and wielded enormous influence and power to determine who to succeeded him. What has changed this time however, is that he is no longer the sitting Governor, but holds a Ministerial appointment.
According to the source: “Abe is not taking chances like he did in 2015, and he is ready to surmount any obstacle placed on his path, to getting the Governorship ticket for the APC.”
Nevertheless, Abe knows that he alone cannot stop Amaechi from ensuring that the candidate he supports for the APC Governorship ticket does not get it, so he has gone further to get an endorsement from the Presidency.
Recently, two names have cropped up as likely candidates to get Amaechi’s nod. They are Dr. Dumo Lulu-Briggs, who recently dumped the PDP for the APC.
The other candidate is Tonye Cole, who is the Executive Director of Sahara Group. Lulu-Briggs and Cole are from the Kalabari axis, and any of them could get the ticket.
Recall, that a similar name dropping process also occurred in 2014, when his name was shortlisted as part of those to succeed Amaechi, before the ex-Governor settled for Peterside.
This political calculation however, does not rule out the chances of Peterside, whose body language depicts a Politician who still has his eyes on the Governorship seat, despite the fact that he did not measure up the last time.
Amaechi is said to be complaining that other party leaders like Abe and Peterside, are not doing enough in terms of empowerment of party members, especially the youths.
Amaechi is also complaining that since he left office as Governor, nothing concrete has been done by any of the leaders to boost the party’s influence in the State.
However, Abe who remains the only Rivers APC Senator in the National Assembly, disagrees with Amaechi, considering the fact that he prevailed in the last rerun Legislative elections.
At a recent outing in Port Harcourt, Amaechi had bitterly lamented that Abe was not doing enough to boost the fortunes of the party, and threatened to draft in Oil Magnate, Tonye Cole, into the Governorship race in 2019, instead of Abe or Peterside.
Nonetheless, sources close to Abe say that he did not see the threat as an empty one, and will not fold his arms and allow Amaechi to have his way again.
A few weeks ago, Amaechi’s camp staged a pro-Buhari protest in Port Harcourt, urging the people of the region to support Buhari, to accomplish his goals for the Niger Delta and the entire country.
When Amaechi held a meeting with APC youths a few days ago, which resulted in his being booed, eyewitnesses said that those who booed Amaechi, were APC youths from Ogoni, who were first prevented from entering the venue of the meeting, in Woji.
The youths were said to have asked the former Governor, to tell them what he has contributed to the party since he became a Minister.
As it stands, the stage is set over who would determine the direction the party, and tension is rising between the duo, but only time will tell who will lead the party, as 2019 approaches.
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