I Made A Political Blunder, Regret Decision For Joining APC — Rotimi Amaechi Laments

The Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi has said he regret his decision to join and spending so much on the All Progressive Congress (APC). Lamenting, Rotimi Amaechi said if not for the intervention of Dr Bukola Saraki, he wouldn’t have been confirmed as Minister.

Read full statement below:

“I started regretting my decision for joining and expending so much on APC when I discovered some top APC chieftains from CPC and ACN blocs were working clandestinely against my confirmation as Minister by the National Assembly.

If you recalled, unlike other nominees, I attended several NASS screening sessions before I was attended to.I don’t know why they did it but if not for the firm stand of Dr Bukola Saraki,I wouldn’t have been confirmed as a minister. I will remain grateful to him. What they failed to do at the National Assembly they succeeded in doing when the President was apportioning ministerial portfolios. Against my wish,I was given minister of Transport.

As if that is not humiliating enough,they removed the juicy department of that ministry( Aviation) and made it a semi autonomous Ministry under my Minister of State. I cannot exonerate the President from not knowing how I am being shabbily treated because my pact was with him and he knew what my dues were supposed to be but today,he has not redeemed any of the promises to me. I begin to ask myself everyday why I made such a political blunder. The most painful thing is that,my people who used to love me now hate me. They hate me for joining APC. Look,it is not about Goodluck or anybody. The people of Rivers see APC as a dubious arrangement and unanimously vowed never to support the party. If you want to prove me wrong, let Wike as powerful as he is now in the PDP try it by jumping to APC,he will never convince the people to go along with him.

That is the mistake Akpabio just made. The people of Akwa Ibom,Cross Rivers and Rivers think same politically. APC can never be their choice of a political party. Don’t be deceived,these states do not want favors or anything from the CENTRE unlike most states. They are self sufficient and cannot be induced with anything. Take my case for example. A commissioner for Transport in Rivers State is more comfortable that a Minister for transport at the Federal. This is the truth. I have bore all travails I am suffering in APC with all equanimity but there comes a time where I have to start weighing my options and that time is now. Ibeh,let me tell you,I don’t think I have the will to work for APC any longer. I cannot point to anything they have done better than PDP except bad governance. I have been rendered politically indolent. The only tangible thing I have done of late is to be commissioning railway projects executed by the Jonathan’s PDP regime.

Do you know how painful that is? It is as humiliating and painful as when a goalkeeper has to bring the ball from his own net put there by the opposing team. Ibeh,the reason I have not left APC is no longer what people will say about it. It is because I have not been approached by any serious party. You know with my political standing,I should not be the one to beg parties to accept me. They should court and beg me to join them.

Even if PDP comes calling now,I don’t know whether I have the courage to refuse them”