The deputy governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Rivers state, Akpo Yeeh, has resigned his membership of the party.
Yeeh, in a letter addressed to Biokpomabo Awara, the AAC governorship candidate, also announced defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In the letter, Yeeh alleged that Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, forced him to sign an undated letter that he would step down after inauguration.
He said the minister confirmed to him and Awara that he had assembled a team of security personnel who would help to rig the election in the state.
“I write to most respectfully notify of my resignation from the membership of the African Action Allaince (AAC) with effect from today 25th March 2019, and subsequent defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),” the letter read.
“Please note also that by this notice, I cease to be the Deputy Governorship Candidate of our Party, the AAC, for the 2019 Governorship Election in Rivers State.
“My decisions were informed by the complete hijack of the structure and administration of our Party by a faction of the APC in Rivers State led by the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, for his personal political ambition.
“Furthermore, the Rotimi Amaechi led faction of the APC is not letting in its determination to subvert the will of Rivers people and cause crisis in the State using the platform of our promising Party.
“I was forced to sign an un-dated letter of resignation as the Deputy Governor of Rivers State to pave way for Rotimi Amaechi to nominate another person as Deputy Governor. These were slavish conditions for any rational politician worth his name to accept, but I pretended to play along because doing otherwise at that time would have been too dangerous for the safety of my life, given Rotimi Amaechi’s desperation to remove Governor Wike from office and install his stooge in the person of Engr Awara against all odds.”
The APC in Rivers state had adopted the AAC candidate, following its inability to field a candidate in the state.
Following pockets of violence and disruption of collation of results on March 10, 2019, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed April 13, 2019 to conclude Rivers election.
