Amaechi Met with Atiku, to Defect to PDP? New Twist Emerges as Tinubu Reportedly Strikes Deal with G5 Govs

• A source close to Rotimi Amaechi has debunked the report claiming that the former transport minister met with Atiku and was considering defecting to the PDP
• The source, however, said the APC presidential candidate, Tinubu, and his camp are not treating Amaechi fairly
• Tinubu's political romance with the G5 Governors led by Governor Wike is said to be unsettling Amaechi's camp

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu's romance with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state is reportedly unsettling the camp of the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu is reportedly meeting with Wike and other members of the G5 Governors to boost his chances of winning.

The G5 are the five aggrieved PDP governors who are not supporting the party's presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, due to an unresolved internal crisis.

After the fall-out with Atiku, the G5 governors are reportedly considering backing Tinubu or Peter Obi of the Labour Party.

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A new report on Friday, December 30, claimed Tinubu has eventually struck a deal with the PDP governors.

Tinubu's move angers Amaechi's camp

Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers state, and Wike, his successor, are arch-political rivals. He has been at loggerheads with Wike since 2013.

Thus, Tinubu's alliance with Wike is reportedly unsettling the camp of the former minister who came second during the presidential primaries of the APC in June.

Ameachi has also been inactive in Tinubu's campaign, though he was named as the special adviser on infrastructure in the Presidential Campaign Council.

Daily Trust cited a source close to the former minister as saying he was not being treated fairly by Tinubu and the people around him.

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“It is an understatement to say he (Amaechi) is not happy. When Oshiomhole went to Port Harcourt, he asked the people to only support Tinubu and that for the other positions, they should support Wike. A similar thing was re-echoed when the Ebonyi governor visited the state,” the source was quoted as saying.

Amaechi not planning to defect to PDP

In spite of Tinubu's romance with Wike, the source dismissed the reports claiming Amaechi was mulling defection to the PDP.

“It is not true that he has met Atiku. He is not leaving APC, the party he co-founded,” he said.

Meanwhile, an APC chieftain in Rivers state, Steve Nwankwo said that whatever alliance Wike has with Tinubu will not in any way diminish the influence of Amaechi in the party.

According to Nwankwo, Amaechi will not leave a party that he had laboured hard to build.

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He added that the former minister and his supporters were not afraid of whatever alliance Wike and the G5 Governors has with Tinubu.

Reno Omokri advises PDP on how to deal with Wike if he endorses Tinubu or Peter Obi

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Reno Omokri, a PDP chieftain, advised the party on how to handle the governor of Rivers state, Wike, amid the internal crisis rocking the opposition party ahead of 2023.

In a Twitter post on Wednesday, December 28, Omokri, an ex-aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, advised the PDP to do all it can to keep Wike in the party.

Omokri added that if Wike still goes ahead to endorse another candidate despite the PDP's "best efforts", the party should also poach Rotimi Amaechi, former transportation minister, from the ruling APC.

Source: Legit.ng