FLASH:
Rivers AAC governorship candidate alleges threat to life.
Barely one week to the April 2 collation of results of the March 9 governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers State, the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Biokpomabo Awara is complaining that his life is in danger. His running mate, Chief Akpo Bomba Yeeh, resigned yesterday morning and defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Yeeh, 67, an Ogoni, was yesterday afternoon received in the Government House, Port Harcourt, by Governor Nyesom Wike and other PDP leaders.
Awara, 38, an engineer, in a telephone interview yesterday, was surprised on the resignation of his running mate. He said he spoke with him at 7 pm on Sunday, but Yeeh did not inform him of his plan to resign and defect to the PDP. The candidate said gunmen were after him and members of his family.
AAC’s governorship candidate said: “I saw my running mate’s resignation online. I have not received the resignation letter he claimed to have addressed to me. I do not know about Yeeh’s resignation.”
One of the leaders of AAC in Rivers, who spoke in confidence in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday afternoon, declared that the motivation for Yeeh’s resignation from the party (AAC) and his defection to PDP was the N200 million cash he received from Wike.
Commissioner for Information and Communications Emma Okah, who doubles as the Director of Information and Communications of the PDP Campaign Council, described the N200 million accusation as untrue.
Okah said: “The allegation that Governor Wike gave AAC’s deputy governorship candidate (Yeeh) N200 million is not correct; it is untrue and it is absolute nonsense.
“Chief Yeeh is a respected elder from Ogoni Kingdom and his action by removing himself from being used to destabilise Rivers State and cause pain to the people is commendable. Everything is not about money, as there are lots of good people around.
“We should commend him (Yeeh) for taking the bold and historic step, instead of calling him names. Future generations of our people will remember the moral lesson of his present actions.”
Awara, in a statement yesterday evening, hailed the God-fearing people of Rivers State for voting for him and other candidates of AAC on March 9, stressing that they had taken ownership of the crude oil and gas-rich state.
He also lauded Rivers people for hitting Port Harcourt streets yesterday morning to protest the plan by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the mandate of the people.
The AAC’s candidate said: “The peace-loving people of Rivers State have taken over ownership of the struggle to liberate their state from reactionary forces. It is despicable that Wike is ready to do nasty things, in order to stay in power. Wike luring my deputy with N200 million is evidence of his level of desperation.
“I have not received any resignation letter from my deputy. Christians the world over believe in fair play, but Wike’s actions and reactions cast serious doubts on his sense of morality.
Wike had earlier said the AAC was not a party to reckon with. It is shocking he could shamelessly use public funds meant for the development of Rivers State to shop for deputy governorship candidates of opposition parties.
“The same Rivers governor had earlier bought off the deputy governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Rivers State, despite existing provisions, which clearly show that deputies are part owners of joint tickets, who cannot be easily separated from their candidates, once they have appeared on the ballot.
“Despite the antics of Wike, Rivers people have obviously taken the position that the outgoing governor can no longer lead them. I won the March 9 governorship election. Whatever INEC plans to do, the Rivers people will resist attempts to steal their mandate.”
Amaechi’s media aide, David Iyofor, was contacted yesterday evening through the telephone from Abuja, but he declined to react to Yeeh’s allegations.
Awara’s running mate, yesterday afternoon, visited Wike in the Government House, Port Harcourt. The governor and leaders of PDP received him.
Wike, while receiving Yeeh, said that no one man’s interest was bigger than the state, stressing that all leaders must unite to develop the state.
Wike said history would be kind to Yeeh for placing Rivers’ interest above personal consideration.
With Wike while receiving Yeeh were the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, who hails from Andoni LGA of Rivers: the state’s Chairman of the party, Chief Felix Obuah; a former Rivers governor, Sir Celestine Omehia; Senator-elect Barry Mpigi, an Ogoni, who facilitated the resignation and defection of the running mate; and other PDP leaders.
Rivers governor said: “History will be on your side. You have shown that the interest of the state is above personal consideration. God will not only protect you, He will reward you for this decision.
“Rivers State is
Rivers AAC governorship candidate alleges threat to life.
Barely one week to the April 2 collation of results of the March 9 governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers State, the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Biokpomabo Awara is complaining that his life is in danger. His running mate, Chief Akpo Bomba Yeeh, resigned yesterday morning and defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Yeeh, 67, an Ogoni, was yesterday afternoon received in the Government House, Port Harcourt, by Governor Nyesom Wike and other PDP leaders.
Awara, 38, an engineer, in a telephone interview yesterday, was surprised on the resignation of his running mate. He said he spoke with him at 7 pm on Sunday, but Yeeh did not inform him of his plan to resign and defect to the PDP. The candidate said gunmen were after him and members of his family.
AAC’s governorship candidate said: “I saw my running mate’s resignation online. I have not received the resignation letter he claimed to have addressed to me. I do not know about Yeeh’s resignation.”
One of the leaders of AAC in Rivers, who spoke in confidence in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday afternoon, declared that the motivation for Yeeh’s resignation from the party (AAC) and his defection to PDP was the N200 million cash he received from Wike.
Commissioner for Information and Communications Emma Okah, who doubles as the Director of Information and Communications of the PDP Campaign Council, described the N200 million accusation as untrue.
Okah said: “The allegation that Governor Wike gave AAC’s deputy governorship candidate (Yeeh) N200 million is not correct; it is untrue and it is absolute nonsense.
“Chief Yeeh is a respected elder from Ogoni Kingdom and his action by removing himself from being used to destabilise Rivers State and cause pain to the people is commendable. Everything is not about money, as there are lots of good people around.
“We should commend him (Yeeh) for taking the bold and historic step, instead of calling him names. Future generations of our people will remember the moral lesson of his present actions.”
Awara, in a statement yesterday evening, hailed the God-fearing people of Rivers State for voting for him and other candidates of AAC on March 9, stressing that they had taken ownership of the crude oil and gas-rich state.
He also lauded Rivers people for hitting Port Harcourt streets yesterday morning to protest the plan by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the mandate of the people.
The AAC’s candidate said: “The peace-loving people of Rivers State have taken over ownership of the struggle to liberate their state from reactionary forces. It is despicable that Wike is ready to do nasty things, in order to stay in power. Wike luring my deputy with N200 million is evidence of his level of desperation.
“I have not received any resignation letter from my deputy. Christians the world over believe in fair play, but Wike’s actions and reactions cast serious doubts on his sense of morality.
Wike had earlier said the AAC was not a party to reckon with. It is shocking he could shamelessly use public funds meant for the development of Rivers State to shop for deputy governorship candidates of opposition parties.
“The same Rivers governor had earlier bought off the deputy governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Rivers State, despite existing provisions, which clearly show that deputies are part owners of joint tickets, who cannot be easily separated from their candidates, once they have appeared on the ballot.
“Despite the antics of Wike, Rivers people have obviously taken the position that the outgoing governor can no longer lead them. I won the March 9 governorship election. Whatever INEC plans to do, the Rivers people will resist attempts to steal their mandate.”
Amaechi’s media aide, David Iyofor, was contacted yesterday evening through the telephone from Abuja, but he declined to react to Yeeh’s allegations.
Awara’s running mate, yesterday afternoon, visited Wike in the Government House, Port Harcourt. The governor and leaders of PDP received him.
Wike, while receiving Yeeh, said that no one man’s interest was bigger than the state, stressing that all leaders must unite to develop the state.
Wike said history would be kind to Yeeh for placing Rivers’ interest above personal consideration.
With Wike while receiving Yeeh were the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, who hails from Andoni LGA of Rivers: the state’s Chairman of the party, Chief Felix Obuah; a former Rivers governor, Sir Celestine Omehia; Senator-elect Barry Mpigi, an Ogoni, who facilitated the resignation and defection of the running mate; and other PDP leaders.
Rivers governor said: “History will be on your side. You have shown that the interest of the state is above personal consideration. God will not only protect you, He will reward you for this decision.
“Rivers State is
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