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President and wife want a violent confrontation in Rivers state to declare a state of emergency
July 16, 2013
Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and the governors of Jigawa, Kano, Niger and Adamawa that came to pay him a solidarity visit could not leave the Port Harcourt International airport this morning as protesters rented by forces loyal to President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience bombarded the airport.
Amaechi, who arrived on a different flight from Abuja around 9:00 AM had to wait in the VIP lounge of the airport until the other four governors arrived as he could not leave, worried that his convoy would come under attack from the protesters.
Sources at the airport told SaharaReporters that the protesters were bused to the airport a early as 7 AM this morning, by 8AM huge crowd bearing placards had virtually taken over the airport with the police giving them protection.
Aides to the governor said they are worried that a bloody confrontation could arise should the governors leave the airport as several of the protesters appear armed.
Opposition parties earlier revealed that Mr. Jonathan wants to foment a violent confrontation between supporters of the governor, and those opposed to him so as to give room to declare a state of emergency in the state,
Last week, five lawmakers led by an Evans Bipi, who is a close relative of Mr. Jonathan’s wife tried unsuccessfully to hijack the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
PHOTONEWS: Anti-Amaechi Protesters Storm Port Harcourt Airport; Attack Northern Governors Visiting Rivers
Anti-Amaechi protesters led by Samuel Nwanosike(aka Ishi) a well-known acolyte of the deputy minister of education, Nyesom Wike stormed the Port Harcourt International airport earlier today.
The angry mob carrying placards prevented four northern governors on a solidarity visit with Governor Rotimi Amaechi from entering the city for close to two hours until the police security was reinforced.
As the governors left the airport huddled in one car, the mob threw stones, bottled water and sticks damaging one of the cars in the governors’ convoy.
Mr. Nwanosike(aka Ishi) presence at the venue of today’s protest puts a lie to feeble denial by President Jonathan, and his wife that they hand no hand in the crisis bedeviling the state. Mr. Ishi was part of the delegation of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers that visited
President Jonathan at the Aso Rock Villa some two weeks ago.Anti-Amaechi protesters stone Northern governors on solidarity visit to Rivers-PREMIUM TIMES
By Abdulrahman Abdulmalik
Protesters, believed to be acting at the behest of people opposed to Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday pelted the motorcade of four northern governors who are currently on a solidarity visit to Port Harcourt.
The protesters had besieged the airport shortly before the arrival of Governors Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) at the Port Harcourt International Airport.
Chanting anti-Amaechi slogans, the protesters berated the governors for intervening in Rivers State’s internal crisis.
The three governors, our sources say, however remained at the VIP Lounge of the airport for about an hour waiting for Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, to arrive.
After Governor Aliyu arrived, the governors drove out of the airport in a waiting motorcade provided by their host. But as their cars drove out of the airport and headed towards the Rivers State Government House, the protesters became violent pelting the motorcade with stones, water bottles, sticks and other items.
However, the governors arrived the Government House safe, without any major incident, and are now holding a closed-door meeting with Mr. Amaechi.
The visiting governors have been firm supporters of the embattled Rivers governor. Insiders say they are visiting in the wake of the recent state-sponsored unrest, to which many commentators have pointed accusing fingers at federal authorities.
Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate and professor of literature, at a press conference in Lagos last week, cautioned Patience Jonathan, wife of President Jonathan, against invasively inserting herself in the politics of the state, and working secretly as matron to forces trying to unseat Mr. Amaechi and make the state ungovernable.
Mrs. Jonathan has denied the claims, drawing wide amusement when she described the Nobel Laureate as an “embarrassment.”
The Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, also reportedly arrived Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Mr. Wike, an indigene of Rivers State, has been accused of being an arrowhead of the anti-Amaechi group.
The Rivers State Governor has been having a running battle with the presidency over his stance on major public issues. He has since been suspended from the PDP.
The crisis in the state worsened last week when five state lawmakers, loyal to the presidency, attempted to impeach the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The speaker and 26 other lawmakers are loyal to Mr. Amaechi, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum. The violent crisis in the assembly was widely publicized on television and social media.
Mr. Amaechi has since called for the redeployment of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police who is accused of playing a partisan role in the crisis.
Efforts to reach the Rivers Information Commissioner, Ibim Semenitari, on the details of the governors’ visit have been unsuccessful as she is yet to answer our calls.