The camps of former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi and All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu have been engaged in heated debate over the former’s allegation that delegates were bribed with money during the party’s presidential primary.
Ameachi, who spoke at an event to commemorate the 60th birthday of the General Overseer of Abundant Life Evangelical Mission, Eugene Ogu, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital on Saturday, alleged without naming names that some aspirants during the party’s presidential election bribed delegates to get their votes.
Amaechi also claimed that many of those who were bribed with money have since regretted their actions.
Tinubu emerged as the APC’s standard bearer in the primary, defeating 13 other candidates, including Amaechi.
In response to Amaechi’s remarks, some APC supporters and party leaders chastised the former Rivers State governor, accusing him of being frustrated after losing to Tinubu.
Director-General of Asiwaju Tinubu Presidential Campaign Organisation, Adebayo Shittu, said he found the utterances of Amaechi unbelievable.
He said, “Who is regretting what? Can Amaechi isolate himself from those he claimed to have induced delegates for votes? He, just like other aspirants at the APC primaries, cannot point fingers at others without implicating themselves.
“What does he mean by delegates are regretting they collected bribes for votes? Is he indirectly saying the governors who brought them collected bribes and expressing regret too? I wish to have an opportunity to square up with him on this kind of issues.
“Amaechi’s outburst, just like few other noticeable ones, were obviously done out of frustration. I understand that when one loses an election, one is bound to hold grudges. You can’t rule that out. After all, we are human beings and Nigerians,” he added.
Gabriel Babalola, the Ekiti State Coordinator of Tinubu Support Organisation, also questioned Ameachi’s belief that he could secure the party’s presidential ticket without working hard for it.
Babalola questioned where Ameachi was while Tinubu was meeting with prominent party stakeholders across the country.
“Before any of them could wake up, Asiwaju had gone from state to state, from one traditional ruler to another asking for their support.
“How many traditional rulers did Amaechi visit before the convention? How many states did he visit? He must have spoken out of frustration,” Babalola said.
APC Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, on the other hand, said the former minister made no mention of Tinubu or any other politician, and wondered why he drew unnecessary criticism from Tinubu’s camp.
“Did Amaechi mention anybody’s name when he made that statement? So if Tinubu’s people feel that they are the guilty, it is very unfortunate.
“Everybody saw what happened on that day, and even most of the delegates confirmed that they were given money to vote,” Eze, an ally of Ameachi said.
But, Mr Nicholas Felix, another APC presidential aspirant who lost to Tinubu said, “Amaechi, like some other aspirants and party members, may not be pleased with the fact that Asiwaju won the elections, especially with the contentious Muslim-Muslim ticket playing out.
“I am quite sure the reaction would have been different if Tinubu didn’t head in that direction. Perhaps, everybody would have been fired up.”
