Jonathan, Amaechi war is Wike’s creation –PDP chieftain

Agubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Chief Atamuno A. Atamuno has lambasted a fellow aspirant and former minister of state for education, Chief Nyesom Wike, “for intentionally creating the war between President Goodluck Jonathan and the state Governor, Chibuike Amaechi.”

Speaking during a chat with editors yesterday in Abuja, Chief Atamuno said members of the party were deluded into the war, which he described as needless, for Wike’s political gain.
His words: “Unfortunately, we were deluded into taking sides with Wike in the war as party loyalists, thinking it was to protect the president’s interest. It was later we found out that Wike plotted the whole game for his political gain, which is manifesting now.
“The culmination of the trick and political game is the impression he has created in Abuja among the party leadership that only him, as PDP gubernatorial candidate, can deliver the state to PDP. That is a deceit and we will not accept it.
“I would remind you that it was Amaechi that appointed Wike a minister. Since Wike was part of Jonathan’s cabinet, that means he is close to the two. In a situation where misunderstanding arises between Mr. President and Amaechi, the proper role for Wike would be mediation, peace making and reconciliation. But, he was rather busy fuelling the fire and creating the impression that he was the saviour of the party in the state, and we did not see the signs of the game he was up to, until this bullying of becoming the party’s candidate at all costs.”
On the disputed party primaries in the state, Atamuno said nothing would make him and other aspirants accept Wike as PDP candidate.
“In the first place, Wike should not contest or take part in any party primaries for the gubernatorial candidate of the party because he deceived us into a needless fight against Amaechi that caused serious problems for the party in the state. He created the wrong impression that there was squabble that needed to be handled to save the party. “It is today, we know better that the fight or rancour between Amaechi and Jonathan never existed. It was Wike’s creation to blackmail the party into aligning with him for next year as the messiah of the party. He created the war to feather his political nest, and there is no way we would accept a party member and leader that deceived us into a war that the party has not settled in the state to continue to lead us. Even, if he takes part in a fair primaries and he emerges winner, we will not still accept him because he deceived us,” he said.
Atamuno, who described himself as one of the best the party could produce to govern the state in 2015, argued that apart from Wike’s alleged deceit, someone from his side of the state in the name of equity and fairness should not be the next governor.
“The state has two major divisions – the upland and riverine areas. The upland has produced all the governors in 16 years. The riverine has not. So, if the same region where Wike comes from picks the ticket next year, then there is no equity in the state.