President Jonathan Disrespected My Office By Taking Over Stadium - Amaechi

The Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has said
that contrary to President Goodluck Jonathan's claim,
the President is not interested in a free and fair election.
Amaechi, who was reacting to soldiers' occupation of
the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium ahead of the
Jonathan's political campaign in the state on
Wednesday, said the action of the President was an
indication that he (Jonathan) was opposed to
democratic norms.
The governor, who spoke in Government House in Port
Harcourt on Sunday, explained that it was wrong for
President Jonathan to order soldiers to take over the
state-owned stadium, even when approval was not given
by the state government.
He argued that a President should have respected the
position of the state government in an ideal federation,
particularly after telling the Peoples Democratic Party to
use the Liberation Stadium.
Amaechi said, "Why is the President insisting on using
the Adokiye Amiesamaka Stadium after we have told the
PDP that work is currently going on there? It is
unfortunate that the President is preaching one thing
and doing another thing.
"If the President is truly interested in the conduct of a
free and fair election, why did he order armed soldiers to
forcefully take over a state government-owned facility
when it was not given to him or the PDP?
"Why should a President elected in a democratic
election, serving under a democratic dispensation order
soldiers to take over a state-owned stadium? In an ideal
federation, the President is supposed to respect our
position, essentially after we asked them to use the
Liberation Stadium at Elekahia, in Port Harcourt City."
In a related development, the state PDP Chairman, Mr.
Felix Obuah, confirmed the party's readiness to use the
Adokiye Amiesamaka Stadium on Wednesday.
Obuah said in a statement signed by his Special Adviser,
Media, Mr. Jerry Needam, that the reason given by
Amaechi on why he refused the party's request to use
the stadium was unacceptable.
The state PDP chairman argued that the stadium was
built with state funds, maintaining that the facility was
only conceptualised when Amaechi was a member of the
PDP.
He, however, challenged the governor to name any
capital project that he implemented since he defected to
the APC in November 2013.
Obuah told members and supporters of the PDP to turn
out in their large number to welcome the presidential
campaign train in continuation of President Jonathan's
bid to earn a second term.
Courtesy: nairaland news
Broadcast by Obele Calistus