Amaechi: My conditions for supporting Jonathan in 2015

The Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State dismissed insinuations that he was teaming up with those opposed to President Goodluck Jonathan because of his (Amaechi's) 2015 ambition.

Although he did not rule out the possibility of seeking higher office in 2015, Amaechi said his focus for now is not on 2015 but to administer Rivers State in such a way that   would bring about development to the people.

He spoke  in an interview on the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Service (BBC).

The governor said that the wonderful support he hagd got from the people was not because they wanted him to be president, but because of they think governors are the ones to decide who should lead them in the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).

Amaechi,  whose response to the questions was interpreted in Hausa language,  maintained that it will be wrong for anybody to say he would want to run for 2015 elections now.

He, however, said that  the political crisis in his state was tied to a lot of assumption by some people about what is going to happen in 2015.

The  governor said: 'It will be wrong for anybody to say he would want to run for 2015 elections now. Why won't you wait till 2015; my focus for now is how to govern Rivers State and ensure that the people benefit from my administration.'

On whether he will support President Jonathan in 2015 if he wants to re-contest, Amaechi retorted:  'Has Goodluck Jonathan told you that he wants to run? If he wants to contest, he will call me and inform me and then we will look at it.'

Asked if there was any reason he would not support the re-election bid of the president, who is from his zone, the governor replied: 'I don't understand what you mean by I come from the same zone with the president and if there is any reason  I cannot support him. I have told you before that the President is yet to say whether he wants to run or not.'

When the BBC correspondent asked him whether his refusal to answer 'this simple question' was  responsible for the problems he was  going through, Amaechi would not bulge. 'What makes the question simple? You want me to become a prophet and determine that the president will contest.

Assuming I said today that I will support the President and tomorrow the President said he is not contesting. Let the President inform me that he wants to contest. Don't accuse the president for doing something that he is not responsible for. If he decides to contest, he will call those that he wants them to support him. That would be the time that we will discuss the issue.'

Asked whether he would defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following his suspension from the party, he said: 'I am not decamping; I am in court with the PDP because I don't think they follow the process in taken a decision against me. I want the court to determine whether what they did was right.'

Amaechi also denied that he was aligning with the opposition, saying:' How do they know that? Have they seen me in any opposition meeting? Because I hold different views from the leaders of the party, then they will say I am in the opposition?'
He also said ' You won't talk about governance without talking about the party.'