The Rivers State Deputy Governorship Candidate of the African
Action Congress (AAC), Chief Akpo Bomba Yeeh has withdrawn from the 2019 Rivers
State Governorship Election, defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP).
Addressing journalists at his home in Port Harcourt on Monday, Chief Yeeh said
the reason for his decision is for him to join hands with Governor Wike to move
Rivers State forward.
He said: “After due consultations with my immediate family, friends and
supporters, I Chief Akpo Bomba Yeeh, the Deputy Governorship of the AAC for the
2019 Governorship election hereby resign my membership of the AAC and announce
my defection to the PDP to join hands with Governor Wike to move the state
forward.”
He continued: “I was the Deputy Governorship Candidate of the AAC in
Rivers State up till today 25th March, 2019, when I decided to withdraw my
candidature and resign from the party with immediate effect.
“The March 9 , Governorship election in Rivers State has been lost and
won; lost by my party, African Action Congress (AAC) and its Candidate,
Engineer Biokpomabo Awara and undoubtedly and overwhelmingly won by the
Governor of Rivers State, the candidate of PDP, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.”
He said that despite the interference of the security agencies, Rivers people
stood their ground and voted for Governor Wike.
He went on to say, “The collated results further showed that contrary to
the false claim of fictitious lead by the AAC/APC alliance, the PDP
overwhelmingly won all the elections in 18 out of the 19 LGAs, culminating in
the declaration and return of the party 26 House of Assembly Constituencies by
the Constituency Returning Officers.
“This fact was confirmed on the 13th of March 2019, when INEC stated, as a
matter of fact, that it had in it’s safe custody collated results for 17 Local
Government Areas as well as the declaration of the PDP Candidates for 21 State
Constituencies.
“The outcome of the elections on March 9, 2019 clearly showed the
preference of the people of Rivers State. Even the blind can see and the deaf
can hear the echo that Rivers people overwhelmingly voted to stick with
Governor Wike for the next four years to encourage him to continue with the
good works.”
The Former Deputy Governorship Candidate of the AAC informed that the Minister
of Transportation forced him to sign an un-dated letter of resignation to be
effective after their expected inauguration.
“I was forced to sign an un-dated letter of resignation as the Deputy
Governor of Rivers State to pave way for Rotimi Amaechi to nominate another
person as Deputy Governor.
“These were slavish conditions for any rational politician worth his name
to accept, but I pretended to play along because doing otherwise at that time
would have been too dangerous for the safety of my life, given Rotimi Amaechi’s
desperation to remove Governor Wike from office and install his stooge in the
person of Engr Awara against all odds.”
He said that though the AAC Campaign was never serious and never campaigned for
the office of the position of Governor of Rivers State, Amaechi during the
adoption of the party, said that he would fund the elections and do everything
under the sun to give AAC victory at the polls.
He said: “Amaechi disclosed to us that he had already assembled security
personnel drawn from the Nigerian Army, the Police, DSS and FSARS to provide
adequate security cover and enablement for members of the AAC and APC to
effectively rig the Governorship election and have us declared as winners on
March 9, 2019.”
He stated that the adoption and promise to deliver AAC was with conditions that
conferred de facto governance on the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike
Rotimi Amaechi.
Chief Yeeh outlined the conditions: “First, he (Amaechi) must be the one
to appoint 90 percent of all political office holders, including commissioners,
Special Advisers, and chairmen and members of Government Agencies and
parastatals.
“Second, he must be the one to nominate and produce all the 23 Local
Government Council Chairmen and other principal officers of the councils.
“We, that is, Engr Awara and my humble self must consult and take
instructions from him on all financial, policy and fiscal matters, as well as
award and payment of all contracts and other financial transactions upon
inauguration as Governor and Deputy Governor of the state.”
He added: “As a practicing Christian, I have come to the conclusion that the actions and desperate attempts by Amaechi and the AAC/APC alliance to rig the Governorship and State Assembly elections in Rivers State are both morally and legally wrong, reprehensible and inimical to the collective interest of the people of Rivers State.”
“The Almighty God will not forgive me if I continue to lend my support to Rotimi Amaechi’s perfidy against the democratic rights of the people of Rivers State to freely elect their own leaders “.
He condemned the Minister of Transportation for unleashing violence on Rivers people in his failed attempt to rig the 2019 Rivers Governorship election.
The Former Deputy Governorship Candidate of AAC stated that he has informed Engr Awara in writing of his withdrawal and resignation from the Governorship race.
