Rivers: 27 Pro-Amaechi Lawmakers Seeking Asylum In France, US – Wike

Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, has accused the pro-Gov. Rotimi Amaechi lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal of planning to flee the country.

Wike made this known on Sunday, at the inauguration of Khana Local Government Area executives and wards chapter of the Grassroots Development Initiatives (GDI), a political vehicle financed by the minister in his bid to succeed Amaechi in 2015.
Wike, who is the grand patron of the group, alleged that the lawmakers had approached the American and French embassies as well as the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, with a letter to grant them asylum.
He berated them for abandoning their responsibilities for the National Assembly and plotting to flee the country.
“Our Assembly members, the former Assembly members, who have taken their responsibilities to the National Assembly, have gone to sign a letter; they have given to Civil Liberties Organisation, they have given to American Embassy, they have given to French Embassy to give them asylum; to give them asylum, should they want to run away. I am not telling this because they are not members; this is the truth of the matter.
“These are those who are representing you. They are writing letter of asylum; what are they seeking asylum for? Tell them, if they say they are not from Rivers State, they can go wherever they want to. Those of us, who are from Rivers State and living in Rivers State, we shall continue to stay here.”
Wike, also used the opportunity to reiterate his earlier position that there is only one Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the country led by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur with the state chapter led by Chief Felix Obuah.

“Let me tell you that there is only one PDP and that is the Peoples Democratic Party. There is only one leader, and he is Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan; there is only one National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; there is only one Chairman in the state, Chief Felix Amaechi Obuah. And, there is only one Deputy National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus. So, when you hear new this or new that, tell them to go and form their own new. PDP is one PDP.”
Wike, however, urged the group to mobilise support for President Jonathan against 2015, saying he deserved the peoples’ support as their “son”.
“We are mobilising to support Jonathan. But, those who feel they are popular are mobilizing to carry unnecessary propaganda. We are mobilising to support our son, our brother, our neighbour, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. That is what we are doing. GDI must go from ward to ward, community to community, from village to village, from house to house, that in 2015, we must work for our son, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to run, and we must give him the necessary support. Let nobody put any division among us. Move about and campaign for him. Enemies of progress cannot stop us.”
Speaking earlier at the event, Obuah gave assurance that Rivers people would be queue behind President Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election.