Rotimi Amaechi, the minister of Transportation, has denied involvement in the leadership crisis currently rocking the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).
Mr Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State, stated this yesterday in an interview. While warning his supporters who were reportedly threatening violence not to take laws in their hands, he said he has decided to stay out of politics and be observing what is happening.
Since Adams Oshiomhole, the suspended national chairman of the APC stepped aside, there have factions fighting to succeed him. On one hand is Victor Giadom, an alleged loyalist of the minister and the other hand is the National Working Committee (NWC) which has Hilliard Eta standing in for Senator Abiola Ajimobi, who is currently indisposed.
While Giadom is relying on the court order which suspended Mr Oshiomhole, the NWC draws its strength from the party’s constitution in appointing Mr Ajimobi as replacement for the former Edo State governor.
“What is happening in APC, I don’t know, what is happening in Rivers State, I don’t know,” the minister said.
“What I have done is to keep away from politics, even if I’m bothered, it will be internally; there is nobody there (in the party) who is a child, we are all adults. I don’t want to get involved in the politics.
“Nigerians know me for being blunt and honest. Some see it as arrogance, some see it as being brash, whatever it is. What do I need to say that I have not said before?
“It’s internal dynamics of politics, it’s internal struggle. So, I have said it several times, when we fought in 2015, I said this country cannot continue the way it is going. I’m not helpless, but I’m doing what they call ‘sidon look’.
“First, if you say you’re my supporter, you’ll know that I don’t just respect the law, I fear the law. Breaking the law can put you in jail. Because of the kind of words used in that video, I may have to address it.
“I believe that no matter how angry you are, no matter how institutions are manipulated, a judge once said ‘I’m allowed to be wrong, that’s why you have the court of appeal, that’s why you have the supreme court.’ So if you think that what the state judiciary is doing is wrong, then you go to the court of appeal, you go to the supreme court and ensure you exhaust the due process.
“No matter your frustration, you don’t have the right to take the law into your hands. I’m responding to those videos because they all said they are my supporters, those who made the comment and those who countered them. My message to everyone is to tell everybody who is supporting me to please remain calm and get out of violence.
“Never be part of violence because I will not defend anybody when you get violent. The law will take its course. Whatever is happening, if anything goes wrong in the high court, you go to the court of appeal, if anything goes wrong in the court of appeal, you go to the supreme court, but don’t you ever take the law into your hands, just like my children would never do that.
“My kids and my brothers know that I’m not a man who will come out to subvert the law. So I will not come and help you, if you are my brother or my son and you take the law into your hands,” the former governor added.
