By Ese Awhotu,with agency report
The Rivers State Governor and coordinator of the Gen Muhammadu campaign organisation,Rotimi Amaechi has been accused of funding the All Progressives Congress(APC) presidential campaign with a whooping N30 billion naira.
The allegation was handed down yesterday by the Former Minister of State for Education and the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike,while speaking during his thank you visit to Ikwerre Local Government Area .
According to Wike, the use of state funds to sponsor APC made it impossible for the state government to pay workers’ salaries.
He said Amaechi dipped his hands into state funds with the expectation that he would emerge Buhari’s running mate.
“The governor was using state resources to fund the APC with the hope that he would be picked as the running mate to the APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.
“Do you know why workers’ salaries have not been paid? Amaechi spent N30 billion in funding the presidential campaign of the APC. They (APC leadership) allowed him to spend the money and later, they called him mugu(fool).”
The former minister urged the people of Ikwerre to vote for him and President Goodluck Jonathan, adding that he would review the value of land Amaechi bought from them for the Greater Port Harcourt project.
He said that the future of Nigerians was in the PDP and not the APC.
He stressed that the Rivers governor was being deceived by the leadership of the APC to continue to fund the party even when the party leadership had never been interested in selecting him as Buhari’s running mate.
Wike also debunked a statement credited to the APC governorship candidate in the state, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, that if elected he would build on Amaechi’s legacy, saying that some of the governor’s actions on the state judiciary, monorail project were not worth continuing as a legacy.
He revealed that he would choose a woman as a running mate when he unveils his running mate on Tuesday.
However, responding to Wike’s accusations, the State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, challenged the former education minister to show proof that Amaechi is funding APC with N30 billion.
According to her, Wike spoke without facts, saying that his allegations are false and baseless.
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