Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has said that he does not need to seek the consent of the President Goodluck Jonathan to contest for the chairmanship position of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).

Amaechi stated this while fielding questions from Shaun Ley on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hard Talk programme monitored in Abuja, yesterday.

“Nobody told me not to run. My assumption is that you the journalists in Britain have an association. Would the Prime Minister tell you to run or not to run for a public office? That is the kind of freedom we are looking for in NGF. So I didn’t need to go to the president and say, Mr President, I want to run for the office of the chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum. I didn’t need to do that and I didn’t do that. And he, in-turn, did not come tell me that, I heard you want to run. So I ran and I didn’t swing the ballot; the person who swapped the ballot is Jonah Jang…I didn’t say I beat him, the result was clear,” he stated.

On his much talked about ambition to run for the office of the vice president on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he explained: “Let’s work on the assumption that I remain in PDP and let’s also assume work on the assumption that I’m running for the office of the vice president, will my leaving PDP not be an answer to your assumption? Let’s assume the president wants to run in PDP and I remain in PDP that means I have no ambition or those that are assuming I have an ambition will be making a lot of mistakes because the place to pursue that ambition will be in an alternative party. But the reason for being in PDP is because nobody can chase me out of PDP.

- See more at: http://leadership.ng/news/260713/i-don-t-need-president-s-consent-run-office-amaechi

Respect is reciprocal.

You did not ask for permission from the president, and the president did not call you to step down.
So how did the name of the president come into all this all along?
Is it that you brought up the name of the president just to make people believe that the president is after you?

Anyway, since you don't need anyones permission to run, why do you want Wike to have your permission before running for gov or Senate?

Amaechi,you lack respect.Each time i remember how you beat old an man ,my heart bleeds.ADVANCED TOUT!

Adrenaline123: Respect is reciprocal.

I like you, your charisma and composure but please tread softly. Don't out-smart your master.

I pity this man. Ibori's case will be small one compare to what you will face when you leave that office.

This man talks too much

If you want to run,pls do...no one is stopping you.

This dude is so arrogant

This Guy Head They Hot Sha..

GEJ took on a wrong dude! Amaechi is a stubborn principled politician. Jonathan should have known that. Amaechi is no Timipre Sylva!

ogb5: You did not ask for permission from the president, and the president did not call you to step down.
So how did the name of the president come into all this all along?
Is it that you brought up the name of the president just to make people believe that the president is after you?

Anyway, since you don't need anyones permission to run, why do you want Wike to have your permission before running for gov or Senate?

The Big Question?