Former President Olusegun Obasanjo
THE Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State has criticised the invitation of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to the state by Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
The governor has invited Obasanjo to inaugurate some projects executed by the Amaechi administration in Rivers State on February 17, 2014.
But the state PDP on Wednesday described the former President’s invitation to the state to commission the Amaechi projects as a display of hypocrisy and pretence. It said the governor invited the ex-President to create the impression that both of them (Obasanjo and Amaechi) had overcome their resentment for each other.
The party, in a statement by the Special Adviser to the Rivers PDP chairman, Mr. Jerry Needam, recalled that Obasanjo in 2006 castigated the people of the state for wishing to have somebody like Amaechi as governor.
It also recalled that the former President instigated criminal investigation against Amaechi, who was then the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and denied him the PDP governorship ticket.
The statement added, “It is also on record that upon assumption of office much later, same Amaechi in retaliation cancelled the Airforce Base Link Road named after Obasanjo by ex-Governor Peter Odili.
“Ironically, the same Obasanjo Link Road is one of the projects the former President is billed to inaugurate in addition to some schools and roads completed by Dr. Peter Odili, some of which he, Obasanjo, had between 2001 and 2006 formally inaugurated .”
Reacting, Special Assistant to the Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, described Obasanjo as a leader with pedigree and should not be insulted by the PDP in the state.
Eze also described the planned visit of the former President as historical, adding that the people of the state would come out enmasse to welcome him.
He said, “For the PDP to say that former President Obasanjo was coming to Rivers State to inaugurate schools and roads built by former Governor Peter Odili shows that they are misguided in their thoughts.
“Who in this world would say he does not know that Governor Amaechi built over 350 primary and secondary schools? But the truth is that Obasanjo is coming to Rivers State to see and inaugurate what some blind leaders refused to see.
“That Obasanjo said Amaechi’s governorship ambition had K-leg; that was seven years ago and the issue must have been rectified. Why is the PDP still dwelling on the issue?”
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