I regret supporting Amaechi to become gov – Odili.

THE former governor of Rivers State,
Dr. Peter Odili, has expressed
regret that he supported Mr. Rotimi
Amaechi to become the governor of
the state in 2007.
Odili said Amaechi dismantled the
structure of the Peoples
Democratic Party through his
(Amaechi) defection to the All
Progressives Congress.
He explained that but for the quick
intervention of a former Minister of
State for Education and PDP
governorship candidate in Rivers
State, Chief Nyesom Wike, the party
would have gone into oblivion.
The ex-governor, who spoke on
Saturday during Wike’s campaign
tour in Ndoni Local Government
Area on Saturday, said Amaechi
worked against the PDP structure
put in place by the founding fathers
of the party.
Odili pointed out that the PDP, in
the past, supported Amaechi’s
political career with good
intentions, adding that he and the
PDP had accepted their mistake
and were poised to correct it in
2015.
It was the first time the former
governor would speak publicly on
the strained relationship between
him and incumbent governor.
He said, “We thought we did the
right thing by supporting Amaechi
to become the governor of the
state. We left a united state; we
also left a united party. The PDP
was one, Rivers State is the PDP.
“There was no other party in Rivers
State other than the PDP. Whatever
the party hierarchy said would
happen. The secretary is here to
support what I am telling you here
today.
“With all the best intentions, we
supported his political career and
ambition. We thought we did what
was best for the state. As you know,
until a man has power and has
money, you don’t really know him.
“One thing is clear; we have
accepted our mistake and we are
determined to correct it in 2015.
Who would have thought that a
governor who won an election on
the platform of the PDP would
defect with the mandate of the
party to another party?
“Who would have thought that a
governor elected on the platform
of the PDP would abandon the PDP
to join an opposition party? The
elders of the party who are here
can corroborate what I am saying
here today. We ran a cohesive
party. We had respect for the elders
of the party. We had respect for
party members.”
Explaining that no member of the
PDP attempted to hijack the party
during his reign as the leader, Odili
recalled that party officials
respected elders during his days as
the state governor.
He, however, expressed gratitude
to Wike for reuniting the PDP in the
state immediately Amaechi
defected to the APC, along with the
former state chairman of the PDP,
Chief Godspower Ake, his
commissioners, his supporters and
22 out of the 23 local government
chairmen.
“I want to thank the governorship
candidate of the PDP for the 2015
governorship election and the next
governor of Rivers State, Nyesom
Wike, for miraculously rescuing the
party from disintegration and
working tirelessly to unite the
members of the party.
“By the special grace of God in
February, we are going to the polls.
The first election is to re-elect
President Goodluck Jonathan for a
second term. The second election
will be the governorship election
where our candidate, Wike, will
emerge as the next governor of
Rivers State.”

Good talk