Strong indications emerged weekend that the Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside will not enjoy the support of his mentor and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in his bid to become the governor of Rivers State in 2019.
Amaechi is a former governor of Rivers State and the All Progressives Congress (APC) leader in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-controlled state.
Dakuku was the APC candidate in the 2015 governorship race in the state but he lost the general election to the incumbent governor, Nyesom Wike.
Co-founder and CEO, Sahara Group of Companies Tonye Cole is the new toast of the Transportation Minister and favorite choice for the 2019 governorship race in Rivers State.
Tonye Cole was adopted on Thursday last week by top Rivers APC stakeholders led by Amaechi at a meeting held in Lagos.
Consequently, Cole announced his resignation from Sahara Group on Saturday to pursue his dream of clinching the APC ticket.
However, Amaechi has denied “appointing” anybody as APC flagbearer for 2019 governorship election in Rivers State.
Amaechi in a press statement issued on Saturday by his media office described as misleading, misguided and deliberately disttorted claims linking him to a purported “appointment” of a governorship candidate for the APC in Rivers State for the 2019 gubernatorial election.
Amaechi in the statement said, “As an individual, a registered voter and a card carrying APC member from Rivers State, it’s the Honourable Minister’s inalienable, constitutionally enshrined democratic right to back/support/promote any qualified fellow party member of his choice, to aspire to be the candidate of the party in the State in the forthcoming governorship election or any other election.”
The Transportation Minister said as a true and thorough democrat , he recognizes that the Party candidates for the 2019 general elections will be elected by party members through the prescribed democratic process in the party’s constitution, rules and regulations.
“It is therefore preposterous, mischievous; wholly and intentionally disingenuous and deceitful for anyone to claim, allege or even insinuate that the Honourable Minister has “appointed” a governorship candidate for APC in Rivers State,” he stated in the statement.
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