Nigeria’s embattled transportation minister, Rotimi Amaechi, has been asked to resign by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Rivers State chapter in connection with allegations of attempted bribery of Supreme Court justices.
The PDP says that Amaechi no longer has any more basis to remain in office after the allegations of bribery leveled against him by two judges.
In a statement by Felix Obuah, the PDP chairman for Rivers chapter of the party, he called on Amaechi, who is also a former governor of Rivers State, to step aside to allow for thorough investigation of the allegations.
Obuah, also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to relieve Amaechi of his appointment as minister in his cabinet.
“To further prove his innocence of the various allegations, Mr. Amaechi should resign, cooperate and allow the process of his investigation by not sabotaging any of such efforts in getting to the truth,” the e-mailed statement said.
“The revelations have vindicated the PDP in Rivers State, as it has consistently complained about the corrupt and undemocratic dispositions of some of his APC folks.
“We demand thorough investigation into these stunning revelations by these honourable justices of the Supreme Court and call on the accused (Amaechi) to resign immediately, as he lacks the moral rectitude to remain in office as a public servant.
In response, Chukwuemeka Eze, the state’s chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, described the allegations by the judges as baseless and unfounded.
He dismissed the allegations by the judges against Amaechi as laughable, saying they were part of ploy by those not happy with the role Amaechi played to dislodge the PDP at the centre.
“I consider PDP’s suggestion that Amaechi should resign because two drowning Justices are looking for a tool to stay afloat as not only laughable, mischievous but exposure of a group that so desperate to expose their evil plots against a man whom they see as the arrowhead that dislodged them from power at the centre.
“These useless calls based on the unfounded and baseless attempted bribery allegations against the former Rivers State Governor confirms our fears and stand that the two discredited justices made these allegations as part of a political strategy to run down the political fortunes of this rising star.
“PDP is only acting out its frustration over the key role that Amaechi played to end the corruption system engineered by the past PDP administration at the centre,” the APC chieftain said.
Recall that Justice Okoro Inyang and Justice Sylvester Ngwuta each of the Supreme Courtroom had fingered Amaechi in an alleged bribery and corruption scandal.
