The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has demanded the immediate resignation of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, from the Federal Executive Council over his role in President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid.
The opposition party in a statement on Thursday, whch was signed by its spokesman Kola Ologbodiyan, hinged its demand on the reported appointment of Mr. Amaechi as the Director General, DG of President Buhari’s second term campaign outfit.
Multiple news reports on Wednesday indicated that the president has named the minister to steer his re-election efforts, but the presidency is yet to speak officially on this appointment.
The PDP accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, of being insensitive to the plight of Nigerians and expressed shock that APC is interested in setting up an electoral structure for a second term when there are urgent issues to tackle.
The opposition party said Nigerians are dying daily of hunger and poverty and killings in communities by marauders, ”all owing particularly to APC’s dismal performance in its nearly three years in office.”
The party urged the APC to ensure that Mr. Amaechi resigns, ”as he can’t function as a minster and also DG of Buhari’s campaign.”
“If APC has any strand of dignity, then Amaechi must resign as the Minister of Transportation having been appointed and already functioning as the DG of President Buhari’s Campaign.
Under the constitution of Nigeria, Mr. Amaechi cannot combine the job of a Minister of the Federal Republic with another responsibility such as the DG of a campaign organisation.
“Amaechi’s action in accepting the job while still holding office as minister is in clear breach of the oath of office and the oath of allegiance which he swore in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended). He should therefore resign his office as minister with immediate effect.”
The party said Mr. Amaechi has already began to function as the DG Campaign for Mr. Buhari’s second term, adding that, he (Amaechi) already held meetings with some of the governors elected on the platform of the APC.
It recalled that when a former Minister of Works, Chief Tony Anenih, was appointed to head the campaign of then President Olusegun Obasanjo, he resigned.
“Is it not instructive for Nigerians to now know that the APC has not the ‘littlest’ agenda on governance for our people and do not have the interest of Nigerians at heart. They have shown that all they care for is their selfish political and pecuniary interests”, the PDP said.
The party urged Nigerians, ”to respond with the full force of their votes and kick out the selfish and incompetent APC out of office come 2019.”
