2019: ‘Don’t allow Amaechi deceive you, PDP tells South-east

The National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, weekend accused the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, of trying to deceive the South-east zone to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid in 2019.

Recall that Mr. Amaechi at a convocation lecture of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka last Wednesday urged Ndigbo, to join mainstream politics by supporting the ruling APC and its bid to retain power in the forthcoming polls.

But Mr. Secondus, while speaking in Afikpo town in Ebonyi State at a rally organised to honour Governor David Umahi, urged the people of the South-east to dismiss Mr.  Amechi’s overture.

He accused the APC of marginalising Ndigbo and minority groups in the country.

“We will not be deceived; nobody can pull the wool on our eyes any more. The best party for Ndigbo is PDP and that is where the future is. No one will deceive us. A minister (Amaechi) went to University at Awka the other day talking about APC and the chances of Ndigbo. That’s another deceit and he cannot succeed. We have been meted with deceit and lies and nepotism.

“When we talk about how they have instituted nepotism, they will say it is a hate speech. Our people have been marginalised, our party was founded on the ground of national unity and that’s why nobody can lay claim on this party.

“When you cannot include Ndigbo and the minority in your government and you expect such people to be happy. PDP will restore the dignity of Ndigbo and the minority in the country. PDP was in government for 16 years and it was all-inclusive government. Even the opposition were appointed,” he said.

He commended Governor Umahi for the development strides and unity of the party in the state, adding there would be no imposition of candidates by anybody in the party in next year’s election.

In his remarks, Mr Umahi said despite attempts to destabilise the PDP by the opposition,”the party will remain strong and united.”

He expressed dismay that a former governor of the state, Martin Elechi, whom he described as”his grandfather” was teaming up with the Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, to wrestle power from him in 2019.

“I came by the mighty hands of God. You know the irony of life? In 2007, when Dr. Onu, who is the Minister of Science and Technology was contesting against the same Elechi, I was supporting Elechi and all my properties in the village; my country home, my filing station, my hotels were all burnt down. Dr. Onu’s supporters burnt them down because I was supporting Elechi. Today, two of them have teamed up against God’s own anointed,” he said.