The Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State has drawn the battle line with the immediate past governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi, over his threat to sue the party for defaming his character.
The party on Wednesday described the move by Amaechi to sue the Rivers PDP and claim N300 million in damages as a ploy to divert attention from “shocking” revelations of the mismanagement of state resources under his watch.
The State PDP Chairman, Chief Felix Obuah, explained that while it expected the processes of the said suit to be served the party, the ex-governor ought to apologise to the people for allegedly running the state aground.
Amaechi had in a statement on Tuesday said he had sued the state PDP, its chairman and two others over allegations that he (Amaechi) embezzled $758m (N80bn) belonging to the state while in office.
The All Progressives Congress chieftain had recalled that the state PDP on August 6, and August 21, 2015, alleged that the said state funds were stashed by him in an account in his name in Bancorp Bank in Minnesota, United States of America.
Reacting to the former governor’s claim, Obua, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Jerry Needam, said the party would never be intimidated by anybody, let alone Amaechi, as far as the matter was concerned.
The state PDP chairman also pointed out that Amaechi refused to appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry to defend himself on the allegations against him.
“The litigation threat is diversionary in the light of shocking revelations, testimonies and discoveries of acts of lawlessness, fraudulent and injudicious spending of state resources by him (Amaechi) while in office being witnessed before the Commission of Inquiry into the Sale of Valued Assets of the State by his administration for which he was invited. But he refused to appear to defend himself.
“While not wishing to join issues with Amaechi until he makes real his boast by serving the processes of the said suit on the PDP and those he claimed he sued, the party would not be deterred by threats of litigation neither will it be intimidated by anybody, let alone Mr. Amaechi that should be apologising to the Rivers people for running the state aground for eight years”, Obuah stressed.
He, however, maintained that the said lawsuit would offer the state PDP the opportunity to further expose to the world the atrocities committed by the immediate past governor.
According to Obuah, such steps will also afford the world the opportunity to determine if Amaechi was indeed the saint he is claiming to be or not.
“The intended lawsuit by Amaechi, if true, will offer the party the opportunity to expose to the whole world the atrocities committed by the former governor, for them to adjudge whether Amaechi is corrupt or a saint as he is hoodwinking those who do not know him very well to believe”, Obuah added.
