The Presidency on Friday said Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, was free to resign from the Peoples Democratic Party, if he was no longer ready to respect President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of the party.

PDP leaders in Rivers State led by Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, and a former governor of the state, Dr. Peter Odili, had met with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, where they tabled the governor’s alleged offences.

At the meeting, Jonathan said disregard for party rules by public officers elected on the party’s platform should not be tolerated.

The governor is currently under suspension for alleged disobedience of the Rivers State PDP’s directive to reinstate the chairman and executive of Obio/Akpor Local Government. He was also suspended for running for a second term as chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, against the party’s directive.

Amaechi had last Saturday in Port Harcourt said the party could not order him to reinstate the suspended local government executives.

He also said if the PDP becomes uncomfortable for him and his supporters, they might be forced to quit.

But speaking on behalf of the Presidency, Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Dr. Ahmed Gulak, advised the governor to leave the party voluntarily.

He said, “Discipline of party members lies with the party leadership at the national level. If the state chapter is complaining of anti-party activities by the governor, they will make such known to the National Working Committee.

“Of course, you would recall that the state chapter had forwarded a petition on the governor to the national leadership of the party and based on that, the NWC suspended him.

“So the President was right by stressing at the meeting that there would no longer be room for indiscipline in the party.

“It is expected that party members, no matter how highly placed, should abide by the rules and regulations of the party.

“Anybody who is not ready to abide by party rules can go to anywhere he wants to go. Anybody who does not believe in party supremacy can look elsewhere where his excesses may be tolerated.

“From the President to councillors on the platform of the party, the PDP expects a high level of discipline, loyalty and respect for the party and its leader from them.”

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the meeting considered ways to ease the governor out of the party, to pave the way for his eventual removal by the courts.

A PDP source, who did not want to be named, said Amaechi’s expulsion from the party was a matter of time.

“If Governor Rotimi Amaechi persists in his misbehaviour, if he remains adamant in his opposition to the party leadership, if he refuses to show respect and loyalty to the party and its leader, he will have no room in the party.

“The national leadership of the party will be left with no other option but to show him the way out.”

Neither the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communciations, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, nor the governor’s media aide, David Iyofor, was willing to comment on the matter.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the expulsion option was considered because the impeachment option could not be immediately pursued.

This is due to the refusal of the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to Amaechi to dump him.

Another obstacle is the court cases instituted by the governor against any move to impeach him or probe his administration.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the gameplan is for the party to expel him from the fold and approach the courts for a judicial declaration that he lacks the legitimacy to remain on his seat.

Section 59(5) of the amended PDP Constitution 2012 states, “Subject to the provisions of this constitution, the National Executive Committee shall have power to expel any member of the party for acts of indiscipline or misconduct which brings, or is likely to bring, the party into disrepute.”

The plan is that after the party’s forthcoming special national convention, the matter will be tabled at the next PDP NEC meeting for consideration.

The party has shied away from taking a decisive step against the governor to give time for Jonathan to consolidate his hold on the PDP through the national convention.

The convention had been scheduled for July 20 but had to be postponed because of the forthcoming Ramadan.

Acting PDP National Publicity Secretary, Tony Okeke, declined to comment on the matter after earlier promising to speak.

Apparently confirming the fresh anti-Amaechi move, spokesman for the five anti-Amaechi lawmakers in the house of assembly, Mr. Evans Bipi, advised him to leave the party voluntarily and not wait to be disgraced out.

“There is no plan to impeach Amaechi. But we want him to leave voluntarily. He cannot be in the PDP and continue to romance with the opposition party. He must leave by himself and we will not miss him if he leaves the PDP.

“We will not miss him because he is not a threat to the party’s ambition. The governor said the other day that if the party continues to suffocate him, he would leave. Let him leave. We want him to leave the party for us,” Bipi added.

Reacting, the Speaker of the House, Mr. Otelemaba Amachree, maintained that it was not possible for the governor to be impeached under his leadership since he (Amaechi) had not committed any impeachable offence.

Amachree, who spoke through his Media Assistant, Mr. Jim Okpiki, expressed optimism that any plot to remove Amaechi as the governor would succeed.

“The Speaker would prefer to leave his position in the House than to be a party to any plot to remove the governor. The truth is that the plot to remove Amaechi will not work because he has not committed any offence that should warrant his removal as a governor or his expulsion as a member of the PDP,” he said.

Source: Niajagaga

FB:www.facebook.com/naijagaga

Another Amaechi story.

How can Amaechi leaving or remaining in PDP help to reinstate democracy in Egypt.

ogb5: Another Amaechi story.

How can Amaechi leaving or remaining in PDP help to reinstate democracy in Egypt.

What is democracy?.

Nigerian Democracy is still in Shambles and u are talking about Egypt Reinstating!

Amaechi VS Goodluck!

PDP is a dishonourable house with shaky foundation. Am sure Amaechi is one of the formidable pillars that is still holding that shaky house in place. I wonder why Amaechi seems to be finding it difficult to dump the party.

Now, i want to have a frank discussion with the ameachi's. What has ameachi done that qualifies as anti party activities? So a member of the PDP is not allowed to speak ill of the president? When did freedom of speech become anti party? Does one surrender their freedom of speech and association when they join PDP? To a large extent, i think this speaks to the immaturity in nigeria not just politics. How dooes this country expect to grow when desenting voice are silenced, when working or associating with the opposition is treason. What has this man, ameachi done that qualify as anti party?

What is going on in this country is very dangerous to democracy. Do not be blinded by sentiments. Sen. Joe manchin of west virginia in the united states openely speaks ill of barck obama, he has never voted for any of obama's bills, yet he is still in a democratic party, sen. Scott brown when he was in office was the greatest critic of his party but was never suspended or isolated. Gov. Chris christie helped pres. Obama win the 2012 presidential election against his party but openely praising and buddying up with obama days to the election due to hurricane sandy, but today he is still a respected member of the party.

Nigeria's democracy is very primitive. PDP today is silencing desent within it ranks and the nigeria people which the PDP exist to serve are not saying anything. Tomorrow when the PDP start silencing desent among the nigerian people, there will be no one to help you.

AMAECHI IS KIND OF LEADER THAT DOES NOT WANT ANYBODY TO CHALLENGE HIM.HE THOUGHT HE HAS CONQUERED RIVERS STATE AND HE WANTS TO GO FURTHER TO CONQUER ABUJA.HE FEELS NOBODY DARE TALK OR CHALLENGE WHATEVER HE SAYS IN RIVERS STATE

THE TRUTH IS,IF HE WERE IN THE SHOES OF PRESIDENT JONATHAN AS THE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA AND JONATHAN WAS IN HIS SHOES AS GOVERNOR OF RIVERS STATE,HE WOULD NOT TOLERATE WHAT HE IS DOING TO JONATHAN RIGHT NOW,HE WOULD HAVE FORCED HIM OUT OF OFFICE WITHOUT REGARDING THE COURTS.

HE IS VERY LUCKY THAT OBASANJO IS NOT THE PRESIDENT,HE WOULD HAVE CUT HIM TO SIZE.I JUST THANK GOD THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING OUT NOW TO MAKE THINGS DIFFICULT FOR HIM AND HE IS LIVING IN FEAR OF EFCC,THAT IS WHY RIGHT NOW HE IS RUSHING SOME ROAD CONSTRUCTION JOBS.BUT,DEFINITELY,THE MONORAIL NONSENSE HE IS USING TI SHIPONE WILL CATCH UP WITH HIM.

captainbraide: AMAECHI IS KIND OF LEADER THAT DOES NOT WANT ANYBODY TO CHALLENGE HIM.HE THOUGHT HE HAS CONQUERED RIVERS STATE AND HE WANTS TO GO FURTHER TO CONQUER ABUJA.HE FEELS NOBODY DARE TALK OR CHALLENGE WHATEVER HE SAYS IN RIVERS STATE

THE TRUTH IS,IF HE WERE IN THE SHOES OF PRESIDENT JONATHAN AS THE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA AND JONATHAN WAS IN HIS SHOES AS GOVERNOR OF RIVERS STATE,HE WOULD NOT TOLERATE WHAT HE IS DOING TO JONATHAN RIGHT NOW,HE WOULD HAVE FORCED HIM OUT OF OFFICE WITHOUT REGARDING THE COURTS.

HE IS VERY LUCKY THAT OBASANJO IS NOT THE PRESIDENT,HE WOULD HAVE CUT HIM TO SIZE.I JUST THANK GOD THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING OUT NOW TO MAKE THINGS DIFFICULT FOR HIM AND HE IS LIVING IN FEAR OF EFCC,THAT IS WHY RIGHT NOW HE IS RUSHING SOME ROAD CONSTRUCTION JOBS.BUT,DEFINITELY,THE MONORAIL NONSENSE HE IS USING TI SHIPONE WILL CATCH UP WITH HIM.

what is this "THING" that ameachi has done that you all speak of. No one has been able to tell me. And calling obasanjo into this shows a level of ignorance on your part. If obasanjo was such a swift grim reaper. Were was his sword when atiku his vice was poking his finger in his eyes. What did he do to bola tinubu?