Biokpomabo Awara, the African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate in Rivers State says claims by his former deputy candidate that the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the All Progressives Congress (APC), forced them to sign un-dated resignation letters were false.
According to him, Amaechi and the APC offered him and his party unconditional support, because they shared common ideology and love for Rivers State and her people.
Awara who spoke at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday while expressing displeasure at his erstwhile deputy’s decision, said Yeeh decamped to PDP because he was under tremendous financial pressure.
He said, “When the story of his resignation first came out as a rumour, that Rivers State Governor have offered him N200m to abandon me, I had no reason to believe it because that Elder Yeeh was aware I had earlier turned down an offer of N3bn, Gov. Wike offered to me some days ago through his associates.
“I discussed this with my running mate and outlined why we must not succumb to the lure from the governor or any interest group.
” I was convinced that we were in agreement because he neither expressed nor alluded to a difference in opinion on the matter.
“When the rumour became rife by Sunday, I made several attempts to reach my deputy without success. I started developing some strange feelings pointing to a possible sell-out by him.
“I am aware that a key component of their plot is to attempt to smear the towering image and figure of the Honourable Minister of Transportation Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
“I want to state categorically that all the accusations made by my running mate against the Honourable Minister are blatant lies poorly crafted by his paymaster, Governor Wike and associates, and you could see how tough it was for him to read the script handed to him.
“Let me be clear. I was never asked to and did not sign any letter of resignation. I am aware that my deputy also was not asked to or signed any letter of resignation. My deputy, Elder Akpo Bomba Yeeh, is believed to be under tremendous financial pressure based on his statements.
“The support the AAC got from the Honourable Minister and the APC was unconditional. Those conditions my deputy alleged in the statement drafted for him by Governor Wike are false, crude lies.
“The alliance between AAC and APC for the governorship election is as a result of our shared love for the state and our shared vision to liberate Rivers State from the shackles of cultism, rapidly growing poverty and the unsafe nature of our state in the hands of an administration that has wrecked almost everything in our state.
“It is indeed sad, regrettable, disheartening and pathetic that my running mate will act in the way he did. I feel pity and sorry for him. However, I must be quick to add that it is one move that has no consequences on the AAC governorship ticket. It is inconsequential in all ramifications. No sane man standing an election as crucial as that of Rivers State will say the things he said.
“One of the reasons I picked him as my running mate was because of the long running relationship between the Ogoni and Kalabari people, dating back to pre-independence. I also chose him because I saw a fatherly figure and capacity in him that could benefit Rivers Youths. I personally saw our joint ticket as Obama/Joe Biden ticket.”
