The All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State Chapter, this evening lambasted former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for allegedly demonising the party and its leaders shortly after defecting to the PDP. Rivers APC was particularly unsparing of Ribadu for reportedly attacking Governor Chibuike Amaechi.

The party said it “has learnt, with shock, of the unprovoked attack which our friend and brother, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, launched on our leader Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Governor of Rivers State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).” It described Ribadu’s defection as political suicide.

According to Rivers APC in a statement signed by Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze on behalf of the State Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, “Ribadu, according to reports which he is yet to deny in the true sense of it, in trying to justify his defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), demonised the APC and its leaders, describing Governor Amaechi as someone who ‘is hungry for power and does not know how to go about it, except with money.’ ”

The party said that “Ribadu’s outburst is very unfortunate and borne out of ignorance of what the antecedents of Amaechi are.”

I added: “It is on record that during the days of Chief Rufus Ada George as Governor of Rivers State, he offered Amaechi appointment as one of his Commissioners but Amechi declined and instead nominated his cousin, Sir Celestine Omehia, whom George appointed as the Commissioner for Education.

“This does not in any way indicate somebody who is hungry for power. While Amaechi, like Ribadu, has exercised his constitutional right to seek election as Governor, his feats, which he rightfully attributes to the grace of God, conclusively prove that he never sought office due to hunger for power but, rather, in order to render service and make the society a better place.

“This is in direct contrast to the conduct of Mallam Ribadu, who after being the presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria in 2011, has now stooped so low to buy PDP guber form to contest the governorship of Adamawa State thereby committing a political suicide and if we still know PDP very well, Ribadu will surely regret this unwise step in a matter of few weeks. And to think that this is the same PDP which Ribadu once described as a den of thieves! So between Amaechi and Ribadu, who should rightly be accused of being hungry for power? Obviously, it is Ribadu, who has just confirmed his position in the league of political prostitutes!

“While we wish Ribadu well in his latest political gamble, we advise him to leave Amaechi and APC alone. He should preoccupy himself with how to survive among the sharks and wolves that he decided to join after abusing them to high heavens.

“We wish to urge and plead with Nigerians not be dismayed or discouraged by the unprincipled step of Ribadu and his likes but unite and seek solution on how to save our nation from the pains and shame that PDP Government has brought to our nation through the looting of our common patrimony with impunity and turning corruption into an institution and not disparagement of Governor Amaechi or any other progressive leader of our nation. The PDP Government has destroyed all facets of our nationhood - our education sector is in shambles together with our Health Sector so any sound mind joining or promoting such a party like PDP that have brought so much misery and poverty to our nation is totally out of tune from reality.

“Finally, Nigerians are aware that the joining of Governor Amaechi and other former PDP Governors to APC have not only brought vibrancy but made APC as a better alternative to the evil that PDP represents.”

•Photo shows Nuhu Ribadu.

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