Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has finally declared his support for Awara Biokpomabo, the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Rivers state.
Amaechi, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made this known while addressing APC members and supporters in Eleme local government area of the state, on Wednesday.
He urged members of the ruling party to massively vote for Biokpomabo during the governorship election on Saturday.
Amaechi added that there were “numerous benefits they would derive from the government” while noting that the APC was still in court over the non-inclusion of the party’s standard bearer, Tonye Cole, on the ballot.
Amaechi said it was important to adopt the candidate of AAC, “considering the closeness” of the governorship and state house of assembly elections.
“This morning, the leadership of the party met and agreed that we would work with a party called African Action Congress (AAC), while we are still in court to reclaim our mandate,” he said.
“So, on Saturday, we will vote for AAC. You must go home and vote for AAC. There should be no excuse not to vote, because there will be security for everybody. You must prepare and make sure you win the governorship election.
“The moment the governorship election is won by AAC’s candidate this Saturday and the new governor is inaugurated on May 29, 2019, by June this year, there will be local government’s chairmanship and councillorship elections.
Amaechi was, however, silent on who the APC members should vote for in the house of assembly poll.
The Supreme Court had upheld the annulment of primaries and congresses conducted by a faction of the state’s chapter of the APC.
A high court in Port Harcourt, the state capital, had nullified the primaries and congresses which were fraught with crisis.
The APC had appealed the order of the lower court at the court of appeal but lost. However, the party filed another appeal challenging the ruling of the same court.
Lateef Fagbemi, counsel to Amaechi’s faction, had asked the apex court “to clear legal impediments” against Cole, his client. The appeal was rejected.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had refused to enlist APC candidates in Rivers in the election despite pressure from the party.