First lady: I won’t descend to Amaechi’s level

Patience Jonathan, Nigeria’s first lady, says she will not trade insults with Rotimi Amaechi, governor of Rivers state, who, in any case, is “planning to hand over to a crook”. Instead, she is urging the people of the state to support Nyesom Wike, gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

She said Amaechi was only enjoying a stolen mandate because the people never voted for him.

Mrs. Jonathan was speaking on Wednesday during the rally of PDP women in Port Harcourt.

“Rivers people voted for PDP and it was Celestine Omehia that stood on the platform of PDP. But along the line, they stole our mandate and have been using it for propaganda,” she said.

“All along, a man that stole our mandate has been telling us ‘I will, I will’ when he can do nothing. But Rivers people will take back their mandate.

“He has been abusing me and my husband but I did not open my mouth to talk. I did not talk because I don’t want to descend low. What do you expect of a man that can insult his father? A man that can insult his sister and mother?

“The time has come for us to teach you that Rivers state is not a place where you won’t respect elders.”

She accused the governor of lying that the federal government had done little for the state, claiming that many projects have been executed by Jonathan’s administration.

“They hijacked Youwin in Rivers state and gave it to the wrong people. They have been lying that the PDP has not done anything in Rivers. It is a lie,” she said.

“If you go to the Port Harcourt airport, you will see that there is rehabilitation going on. A cargo section has been created courtesy of PDP and the federal government.

“The last time I saw trains in Port Harcourt was when I was a child but today repair of the rail tracks is almost complete and very soon, you will be seeing trains in Port Harcourt again.

“If you also go to Okrika, you will see that the jetty has been completed. If you go to Degema, you will also see a jetty. That is the work of PDP because whatever the PDP and federal government do, they will claim that they are the ones that have done it.

“Onne road has also been completed and the port has been transformed and the gas that has been wasting there for years has been converted to electricity, making about 150 companies to operate there and also providing employment for 30, 000 people.

“He likes corruption. Everyday, they preach corruption, corruption, corruption. Who is corrupt more than him? Let him come out, so that we can reveal ourselves because we are all Rivers people. We were all born in this state, so we know each other. He can go and lie to those who don’t know him but not to the people of Rivers.

“Please, my sisters, vote them out because if you don’t vote them out, you will not get the things that belong to you. They have been stealing so much. Anytime he comes to you, ask him of SUREP, ask of YOUWIN; he has stolen everything. Tell him, you are our governor, go and bring our right. Go and bring it.”