Reminiscent of 2015 when a full-blown campaign of calumny was launched against the appointment of Rotimi Amaechi, Nigeria’s current Minister of Transport, deft moves were currently being made to stop President Muhammadu Buhari from reappointing him into his second tenure cabinet.

 

Kristina Reports got hint of the moves recently from knowledgeable sources. Aside that, across media platforms subtle campaigns were already ongoing to sway public perception against the former Rivers State Governor.

 

In a tweet recently on his Twitter handle, Amadi Dike, a stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), wrote

 

“Your Excellency, @mbuhari, on behalf of Rivers youths, I appeal that your next ministerial nominee from Rivers State should be a Kalabari or an Ogoni man, for equity and fairness, Ikwerre where @ChibuikeAmaechi comes from is already loaded with juicy political offices. Thank you, Sir”.

In another development, a PDP apologist, Sotonye Ijuye-Dagogo, in an article tagged: “Wike is a better leader than Amaechi”, wherein he strove to drive the point that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike as a better leader than his erstwhile boss, Rotimi Amaechi, called on President Buhari to consider dousing the political tension in the State by not reappointing Amaechi into his cabinet.

 

Excerpts from his article reads:

 

“Now that Wike has been given the victory that he never imagined in his wildest dreams, Amaechi has to be removed from the way of progress because he lacks the capacity to rebuild the APC in the state. Under Amaechi, Rivers APC would continue dwindling and would in 2023 require the entire Nigerian army, Navy and Airforce instead of the people’s vote to win.”

 

“More importantly, Rivers State needs peace, our people have suffered irreparably since the Amaechi-Wike political rivalry began in 2013. Hundreds of persons have been killed, unquantifiable property damaged and hundreds of billions of public funds wasted in course of this crisis.”

 

“If Wike is governor, then President Buhari should please remove the Amaechi factor to save Rivers State from the ongoing violence which by all account is fueled by feuding politicians. President Buhari should, in the name of God and for the sake of innocent Rivers people, not reappoint Amaechi as Minister so that Wike too is de-motivated from his evil ways.”

 

“After all, both Amaechi and Wike are from the same Ikwerre ethnic group and have between themselves (only both of them) kept the office of governor and minister since 2011.”

 

“President Buhari should put the peaceful existence of Rivers State above political patronage and save the security agencies all the wahala in Rivers State.”

 

Kristina Reports, however, learnt that these were sponsored media campaigns to undermine the chances of Amaechi, who incidentally is the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, of being reappointed.

 

These would in the days to come be followed up with paid advertorials demonizing the Transport Minister by levelling diverse allegations against him and suggesting that for the President’s integrity to be sustained he needs to ditch the Director General of his campaign.

 

Already, efforts were ongoing in infiltrating the inner circle of the President’s kitchen cabinet with promises of mouthwatering inducements to ensure Amaechi’s name did not make the next cabinet list.

 

A senior member of the APC in Abuja disclosed though anonymously to Kristina Reports that “some of us have been reached by your people who are canvasing for somebody from the Ogoni axis to be appointed to replace Oga Amaechi but as you know, it’s Mr. President’s prerogative”.

 

“Also, just like in 2015, Mr. President has kept very close to his chest who and who he wants to consider for appointment. So, if you ask me, I don’t have an answer but for sure there are people in your State who don’t want Amaechi there”.

 

Meanwhile, a chieftain of the APC in Cross River, who prefers anonymity, told Kristina Reports that the issue was inconsequential especially given the performance of Amaechi in the current cabinet.

 

“He is a shining star who has brought his wealth of experience to bear in transforming the rail transport sector and the President is happy with him. Of course, he may be having issues in his State but that has not affected his performance.”

 

“I can tell you that he (Amaechi) has made us from the South-South proud, very proud, by his exceptional performance. We expect the President to reappoint him but maybe also appoint a second person maybe as junior Minister from Rivers”.

 

Amaechi’s party, the APC performed abysmally low in the 2019 elections as they were first edged out of the polls by sundry court rulings and then when they chose to support the African Action Congress (AAC), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disrupted the process claiming widespread violence.

 

Curiously, the same electoral umpire declared Nyesom Wike as winner of the polls amidst protests by other participating political parties. The AAC candidate, Biokpomabo Awara has approached the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the polls.

 

There are insinuations that Amaechi’s opponents were not yet done with him. There were indications that having won him at the polls they were bent on ensuring he was not given any political appointment thus totally humiliating him.

 

Sources revealed to Kristina Reports that the Senator representing Rivers South-East, Magnus Abe was being projected to replace Amaechi in Buhari’s next cabinet or alternatively, a former Commissioner for Empowerment and Employment Generation during Amaechi’s administration as Governor of Rivers State, Ipalibo Harry. This was to cover both the upland and riverine aspects of the State whichever the President decides to consider.

 

A knowledgeable source confided in Kristina Reports that the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole was allegedly behind the moves to drop Amaechi and appoint Abe.

 

The source further asserts that “you know the Distinguished Senator is well beloved to our Chairman and this is like the least he can do for him given their closeness. Also, remember that Osho Baba was close to Madam (President’s wife) and she would want him to be given something”.

 

When contacted to react to the recent developments, Amaechi declined comments, saying that God will decide my fate.