The alleged fraudulent funding of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) from the Rivers State government coffers by the then Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who was governing the state on the PDP platform, prior to the 2015 general election, may constitute an albatross for the Transportation Minister now seeking the APC Presidential candidature for the 2023 election.
PDP-ticketed Governor Amaechi was alleged to have bankrolled the national convention of the CPC heralding the formation of the APC through a merger prior to the 2015 election, an action now complained about by the PDP as gross immorality.
Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufa’i of Kaduna State has been reported to have recalled how Amaechi allegedly funded the defunct CPC when the Transportation Minister visited Kaduna to meet Delegates on his Presidential aspiration.
“Let me tell you people something when we were in CPC we were to go to Convention and we did not have any money,” El-Rufai was reported to have recalled, continuing, “Amaechi then was Governor of Rivers State under the PDP. I don’t know how got to know, then he asked how much was needed to hold the Convention and he gave us the money.”
El-Rufai reportedly said: “It was the money we used for the Convention,” saying, “Since then President (Buhari) asked me to continue talking to him,” and disclosing, “When they were meeting thinking of defecting to APC we used to meet with the Seven Governors before two chickened out.”
Consequently, PDP strongman and former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, in his Facebook page, hits back at El-Rufai over the four issues raised by the Kaduna governor’s address while receiving Amaechi.
“As revealed by El Rufa’i, Buhari’s political myth and CPC is entirely built and sustained through the Treasury of Rivers State Government,” Lamido observed.
“As PDP Governors then, we reposed absolute trust and confidence in each other. We never for once thought Amaechi was running with the deer and hunting with the hound!” he admitted.
“At no time did we ever have a meeting as a group of Seven Governors with El Rufa’i. Not that I know of!” Lamido recalled.
The PDP juggernaut argued: “There never was a time when we met and resolved to join APC talk-less of Two Governors chickening out. The two Governors have the courage and honor to stand by that ‘resolution’ if it was ever made!”
Lamido said: “It became obvious for me to make this clarification so as to correct what ever impression El-Rufa’i’s revelation may create on the Two Governors.”
He argued: “At any rate the group of the Seven Governors was purely formed to fight for and enthrone internal Democrat in PDP and the joining of APC was never in our remotest consideration.”
The former governor advised: “It is also important to state whatever we say as Nigerians, we must avoid speaking from both ends of the especially on corruption.”
He stated: “We must have a moral benchmark!”
