Culled from SaharaReporters…
Anti-Amaechi protesters led by Samuel
Nwanosike(aka Ishi) a well-known acolyte of the deputy minister of
education, Nyesom Wike stormed the Port Harcourt International airport earlier
yesterday.
The angry mob carrying placards prevented four
northern governors on a solidarity visit with Governor Rotimi Amaechi from
entering the city for close to two hours until the police security was
reinforced.
As the governors left the airport huddled
in one car, the mob threw stones, bottled water and sticks damaging one of
the cars in the governors' convoy.
Mr. Nwanosike(aka Ishi) presence at the
venue of today's protest puts a lie to feeble denial by President Jonathan, and
his wife that they hand no hand in the crisis bedeviling the state. Mr. Ishi
was part of the delegation of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
in Rivers that visited. More photos and stories after the cut...
President Jonathan at the Aso Rock Villa
some two weeks ago.Anti-Amaechi protesters stone Northern governors on
solidarity visit to Rivers-PREMIUM TIMES
By Abdulrahman Abdulmalik
By Abdulrahman Abdulmalik
Protesters, believed to be acting at the behest
of people opposed to Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday pelted
the motorcade of four northern governors who are currently on a solidarity
visit to Port Harcourt.
The protesters had besieged the airport shortly
before the arrival of Governors Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Sule Lamido (Jigawa)
and Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) at the Port Harcourt International Airport.
Chanting anti-Amaechi slogans, the protesters
berated the governors for intervening in Rivers State’s internal crisis.
The three governors, our sources say,
however remained at the VIP Lounge of the airport for about an hour waiting for
Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, to arrive.
After Governor Aliyu arrived, the governors drove
out of the airport in a waiting motorcade provided by their host. But as their
cars drove out of the airport and headed towards the Rivers State Government
House, the protesters became violent pelting the motorcade with stones, water
bottles, sticks and other items.
However, the governors arrived the Government
House safe, without any major incident, and are now holding a closed-door
meeting with Mr. Amaechi.
The visiting governors have been firm
supporters of the embattled Rivers governor. Insiders say they are visiting in
the wake of the recent state-sponsored unrest, to which many commentators have
pointed accusing fingers at federal authorities.
Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate and professor of
literature, at a press conference in Lagos last week, cautioned Patience
Jonathan, wife of President Jonathan, against invasively inserting herself in
the politics of the state, and working secretly as matron to forces trying to
unseat Mr. Amaechi and make the state ungovernable.
Mrs. Jonathan has denied the claims, drawing wide
amusement when she described the Nobel Laureate as an “embarrassment.”
The Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike,
also reportedly arrived Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Mr. Wike, an indigene of Rivers State, has been accused
of being an arrowhead of the anti-Amaechi group.
The Rivers State Governor has been having a
running battle with the presidency over his stance on major public issues. He
has since been suspended from the PDP.
The crisis in the state worsened last week when
five state lawmakers, loyal to the presidency, attempted to impeach the Speaker
of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The speaker and 26 other lawmakers are
loyal to Mr. Amaechi, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum. The violent
crisis in the assembly was widely publicized on television and social media.
Mr. Amaechi has since called for the redeployment
of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police who is accused of playing a partisan
role in the crisis.
Efforts to reach the Rivers Information
Commissioner, Ibim Semenitari, on the details of the governors’ visit have been
unsuccessful as she is yet to answer our calls.
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