Godwin Anene
The running mate to the African Action Congress governorship candidate in the Rivers State gubernatorial election, Chief Akpo Bomba Yeeh, has withdrawn from the election with immediate effect.
Yeeh also equally resigned his membership of AAC and defected to the Peoples Democratic Candidate (PDP).
Mr Biokpomabo Awaram is the governorship candidate of AAC in the Rivers State governorship election, who the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Ameachi declared his support for in the election which has since been suspended by INEC.
Yeeh announced his withdrawal and his defection to PDP in a letter on Monday.
Yeeh’s withdrawal from the race and defection to the PDP is coming barely eight days to the collation of the governorship election in Rivers State.
According to him, “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).”
In the letter, Yeeh alleged that Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, 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 facilitate rigging of the election.
“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,” Yeeh wrote.
“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.”
