How APC chairman snubbed invitation to Amaechi’s presidential declaration

National chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Abdullahi Adamu, on Saturday, abandoned plans to join Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi in Port Harcourt last week once he became aware that the meeting had been called to announce the candidacy of the minister for president.

The national chairman who had flown into the airport in Port Harcourt was still inside the plane when he learnt that Amaechi had called the gathering to declare his intention to contest for the presidential ticket of his party when he turned around and headed back to Abuja.

Former chairman of the party Adams Oshiomhole who attended the occasion has told some that he was misled into attending the event as he had been made to believe that Amaechi was only organizing a thanksgiving service.

Amaechi, who had met President Mohammadu Buhari for less than minutes a day earlier, announced on Saturday that he plans to contest the presidential election in 2023.

He made the announcement on Saturday while addressing a crowd of supporters and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at an event in Port Harcourt.

In a speech titled ‘Forward With Courage’ at a thanksgiving service held at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Amaechi said, “fellow Nigerians, I stand before you today to declare my intention and submit my application to serve as your next president,” he declared to the cheers of hundreds of party faithful at the event. “I did not come to this decision lightly, I have served our nation for the last seven years as minister of transportation.

“Eight years before that, I served as governor of Rivers State; in the preceding eight years before that, I was Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Within this period, I have also served as the Director-General of President (Muhammadu) Buhari’s campaign organisation twice.”

According to him, “after more than two decades in the public arena, I had wanted to go on a holiday and spend more time with my family before charting a new course outside politics, but at 56 … I am compelled by the urgency of our present challenges to place my experience and proven capacity at the service of the nation at the highest level.”