Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Ritimu Ameachi, has said that the second term of President Muhammadu Buhari will be an inclusive one, adding that the era blaming the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is over.
Addressing a press conference Tuesday in Abuja to thank Nigerians for their support for the party, said that President Buhari has assured in his acceptance speech, that he will work to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians under the next level agenda.
Amaechi said: “The president has said that not only will he run an inclusive goverment but that he has also realised that Nigerians have suffered enough and that it is time to rescue Nigeria.
“Let us work together as friends and in four years time we will come back for another election and encourage INEC to ensure election is free, fair and credible. That is what the presdent is emphasing.”
When asked if APC can now accept responsibility for the state of things in the country, Amaechi said : “I think we should leave the past, whether PDP did well or not we now have another four years to prove that we are better than them. We have to prove them wrong by doing better.
“So, there are no excuses. The president will ensure he runs a government that satisfy Nigerians and that is all we want. And, we plead with some of those who ask this question to please as journalists try and investigate properly.”
However, Amaechi said that the fact that APC will take responsibility for policies aimed at reshaping the economy of the country does not mean that Nigerians will no longer refer to what happened in the past.
For instance, he said the Jonathan administration inherited $68 billion from former President Olusegun Obasanjo but left a paltry $2.5 billion for the President Buhari-led administration in 2015.
Amaechi also responded to the statement credited to the PDP national chairman Uche Secondus that there may be no elections in 2023 based the way things are going.
He said the PDP chairman is not the constitution or president to decide whether there will be polls 2023 or not.
According to Amaechi, the highest authority in the land that decides on such issues like the holding of elections is the constitution of the country.
Speaking on outcome of presidential election, Amaechi said that APC is satisfied with the votes it got at the presidential poll, especially the better spread that the party’s candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari was secure from areas like the Southeast zone.
While responding to the threat by the PDP to challenge the victory of APC at the court, Amaechi said the campaign council aligns itself what President Buhari in Ogun state that people are free to express their views about the election, saying that “we believe they are our colleagues and friends but if they don’t see reason I think we also have lawyers.”
Amaechi further chided the PDP over its petition to the United Nations and European Union, maintaining that both organizations have no business with Nigeria’s election.
He insisted that the highest authority in country is the constitution and nothing else.
On the spate of violence that characterized the presidential poll, particularly the one that in that claimed lives of civilians and soldiers in Rivers state, Amaechi said the regrettable incident occurred due the desperate bid by the Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike for a second term.
Amaechi who said he deliberately chose not to talk about governance in Rivers state so that the governor will not blame him for its nonperformance.
He accused governor Wike of single-handedly ordering the withdrawal of N117 billion from state coffers in one day.
The minister who exonerated himself from any involvement in the sponsorship of the violence that marred the presisidential election in some parts of Rivers state, said that he drove back to his house immediately after casting his vote.
“Just because one has ambition for second term so all human being should die, I was once a governor of Rivers state and I fought militants. I don’t know any of them and if you just tell me your are a militant, that is the end, immediately I will take you to court and You can ask anybody in Rivers state.”
He said that instead of working with the military to maintain peace and order, governor Wike was busy recruiting people he called neighbourhood watch.
