Amaechi: It’s a fallacy! I never appointed governorship candidate for Rivers APC

Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, says he never appointed a governorship candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state.

Amaechi, a former governor, is the leader of the political party in Rivers.

The minister was alleged to have endorsed Tonye Cole, co-founder of Sahara Energy, as the candidate of the party for the 2019 governorship election.

But in a statement released on Saturday by his media office, Amaechi described the claim as “wild, misleading, misguided and deliberately distorted”.

“To clarify this fallacy… as an individual, a registered voter and a card carrying APC member from Rivers State, it’s the Honourable Minister’s inalienable, constitutionally enshrined democratic right to back/support/promote any qualified fellow party member of his choice, to aspire to be the candidate of the party in the State in the forthcoming governorship election or any other election,” the statement read.

“However, as a true and thorough democrat, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, a foundation member of the APC and a leading light of the party, recognizes that the Party candidates for the 2019 general elections will be chosen/elected by party members through the prescribed democratic process in the party’s constitution, rules and regulations.

“It is therefore preposterous, mischievous; wholly and intentionally disingenuous and deceitful for anyone to claim, allege or even insinuate that the Honourable Minister has “appointed” a governorship candidate for APC in Rivers State.”