Presidency to Amaechi: You are free to quit PDP

The Presidency on Friday said Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, was free to resign from the Peoples Democratic Party, if he was no longer ready to respect President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of the party.

The Presidency through the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Dr. Ahmed Gulak, advised the governor to leave the party voluntarily, if he was not going to abide by its rules.

Gulak's statement is coming just a day after PDP leaders in Rivers State led by a former governor of the state, Dr. Peter Odili, and Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, had met with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa

Gov Amaechi and the Presidency's alleged imbroglio was at the centre of their visit.

Gulak said, 'Discipline of party members lies with the party leadership at the national level. If the state chapter is complaining of anti-party activities by the governor, they will make such known to the National Working Committee.

'Of course, you would recall that the state chapter had forwarded a petition on the governor to the national leadership of the party and based on that, the NWC suspended him.

'So the President was right by stressing at the meeting that there would no longer be room for indiscipline in the party.

'It is expected that party members, no matter how highly placed, should abide by the rules and regulations of the party.

'Anybody who is not ready to abide by party rules can go to anywhere he wants to go. Anybody who does not believe in party supremacy can look elsewhere where his excesses may be tolerated.

'From the President to councillors on the platform of the party, the PDP expects a high level of discipline, loyalty and respect for the party and its leader from them.'

 
Rivers PDP leaders  had told Jonathan to disregard the delinquent behavior of the governor of the state.

The governor is currently under suspension for alleged disobedience of the Rivers State PDP's directive to reinstate the chairman and executive of Obio/Akpor Local Government. He was also suspended for running for a second term as chairman of the Nigerian Governors' Forum, against the party's directive.

Amaechi had last Saturday in Port Harcourt said the party could not order him to reinstate the suspended local government executives.

He also said if the PDP becomes uncomfortable for him and his supporters, they might be forced to quit.