Ahead the December 10 legislative re-run elections in Rivers State, Minister of Transportation and leader of Rivers State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has said that APC is sure of winning the election in Ogoni land.

Speaking at a rally in Bera community in Gokana Local Government Area of the state, Amaechi said winning in Ogoni and Rivers South East Senatorial District has already been foreclosed considering the support the party enjoys in the district, adding that where the contest exists would be in Ikwerre and Ahoada areas.

“If there is one place that APC should win, it is Ogoni. But Wike says he must win here. He is not God and since he is not God, he will fail. The battle is not here at all. The battle is in Ikwerre and Ahoada axis. So, he had better forget here,” he said.

The former Governor said the support of the district stemmed from both developmental projects he sited in the area and appointments given to sons and daughters in the area while he was governor.

He, therefore, charged Wike to equal his achievements in Ogoni land or supersede them.

Explaining further, Amaechi reminisced the number of indigent persons in the area given scholarships to study abroad while he was governor but who were repatriated by Gov. Wike.

“He could not take your children overseas. Instead of taking them there, he returned them to Nigeria. Poor innocent children, poor children of poor families.”

The Minister urged the people to turnout enmasse to vote for APC, assuring them of protection against threats from the Governor, adding that the governor's threats should not be ignored as his utterances and actions depict him as a thug capable of doing anything.

“It is only a thug that can stand in front of a judge's gate and be struggling with security men. A governor will go back to his house and call the President. When the SSS invaded the Presidential lodge of the Akwa Ibom State Government House, the governor didn't go to the gate. He called the President. And they were asked to return to Abuja. Instead of this one to call the President, what did he do? Go and fight. Only a thug can do that. In all the fight I had with the Federal Government with former President Goodluck Jonathan, nobody saw me physically battling with anybody. When I became Governor, there were so many people appointed by Gov. Odili. There were so many businesses by Odili's people. Did I stop any? No. Wike doesn't know what it is to govern.”

Amaechi declared that although Wike could talk tough but inwardly was a coward.

He berated Wike for rewarding criminals who helped him to rig the elections thereby jeopardising the security of the state.

“How can you see a governor with murderers, murdering people everyday, giving them appointments everywhere. Ask the one in Ikwerre LGA if he was not arrested by SSS for murder in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST). He was released by the pressure of government then”.

Earlier, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, APC candidate for Rivers South East Senatorial District in the legislative re-run elections, commended the people for their large turnout over a short notice for the campaign rally.

Abe who spoke on behalf of all APC candidates in the district, narrated how the Ogoni had struggled against environmental degradation and marginalisation of the people to no avail.

He, however, said that God had used President Buhari and the minister to begin to address issues surrounding 21 years of the Ogoni struggle by the appointment of their son to the top management of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as well as the clean up of Ogoni land.

“Twenty-one years ago, late Ken Saro-Wiwa was hanged because he was asking that Ogoni land has been polluted and should be cleaned up. For 21 years, we have been crying, writing petitions, holding vigils, going to meetings, doing everything. Even when our own son was President, we did not get any help. Today, because of APC, President Buhari and Rt. Hon. Amaechi that thing that we were all crying for is today happening.”

The former Secretary to Rivers State Government stated that the people have a future in APC, assuring them that more are yet to come.

In his own speech, Chief Derek Mene, the Executive Director, Finance and Administration (EDFA), NDDC, enjoined Ogoni people to support APC because of their interest, pointing out that the support for APC is a movement rather than partisan consideration.

Also, in his speech, His Excellency, Hon. Oji Ngofa, Ambassadorial nominee, said that the opponent of Senator Abe, Mr. Olaka Nwogu was no match to Abe and had not contributed anything meaningful to the development of Eleme LGA.

“The consideration for voting in the forthcoming re-run elections, we as a people we have no option. I have said it severally and I will say it again. Progressives politics is propelled by love and development. Where the opponent comes from, all he has done in the 15 years in the House of Representatives is to underdevelop Eleme.”

Ngofa urged the people to vote massively for Abe in the forthcoming re-run elections. Among those who attended the rally were Hon. Asita .O. Asita, APC Deputy Governorship candidate in the 2015 elections, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, State Chairman, APC, Chief Andrew Uchedu, Chief Emeka Beke, APC Secretary, all APC candidates in the re-run elections.

•Photo shows Amaechi.

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