The Presidency on Wednesday said Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State was at liberty to dump the ruling PeoplesDemocratic Party for the opposition All Progressive Congress.
Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Matters, Mr. Ahmed Gulak, said this in an interview with our correspondent. Gulak was reacting to a statement credited to Amaechi that he would consult Jonathan before joining the APC.
The governor was quoted to have made the remark on Tuesday while receiving chieftains of the opposition APC who were in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, to woo him into their fold.
“Before I join the APC, I will consult the President. I will. He is from our zone. I will consult all the consultable,” he was quoted to have said.
But Gulak said the governor was only trivialising the issue at stake as he deliberately engaged in anti-party activities.
He said since Amaechi did not consult the President before inviting the APC leaders and giving them tumultuous reception in his state, he should not bother to consult Jonathan before leaving the PDP.
He said it was unfortunate that the governor did not understand the gravity of the voyage he had embarked upon.
The President’s aide said, “Governor Amaechi did not consult the President before inviting APC leaders to Rivers State and giving them tumultuous welcome, so he does not need to consult the President before joining APC because he knows that the President will not allow any PDP member to go to APC.
“Governor Amaechi is at liberty to join APC. This is belittling the issue. We are not small boys; we are in a serious business of politics.
“You cannot as a governor on the platform of PDP invite APC leaders to your state and make a show of it and now say that you will consult the President who is the leader of the PDP before you join APC.