Abati: President has nothing against Amaechi and will support him for 2019 election

Abuja – Contrary to the picture being painted by the media and by Nigerians on twitter, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan bears no grudge against Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.

This clarification is from the most senior Presidential Spokesperson, Dr Reuben Abati.

To buttress his point, Abati indicated that rather than having anything against Amaechi, President Jonathan has even vowed to support the Rivers State Governor come 2019 when he, Amaechi, would be qualified to run for the office of President.

Explaining Amaechi’s suspension from the ruling party, PDP, Abati reminded Nigerians that political parties are free to discipline their members when such members do wrong, and such disciplinary action need not be construed as victimisation.

Abati declined requests to reveal Amaechi’s wrong doing and instead explained that the inner workings of a party are the inner workings of a party and thus, do not fall under the purview of the Freedom of Information bill.

He himself, he claimed, is not privy to why the party deemed it necessary to suspend the Governor. He however pointed out that it is merely a suspension; one, he said, that would probably not last longer than a few years – till 2016, say.

On the matter of the governors’ forum election, Abati chided the faceless troublemakers who are busy spreading rumours that President Jonathan favoured the loser, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau state, over the eventual winner, Amaechi. He said, “How can the President, who has already promised to support Amaechi for President in 2019, favour Jang over the same Amaechi for a mere chairmanship of a mere Governors’ forum?”

In related news, unconfirmed and soon to be denied reports indicate that close associates and family of Governor Jang have made secrete plans to get the Governor psychiatric help.

A source hinted that there are concerns that the Governor is suffering from a condition known as Delusional disorder, defined by Wikipedia as an uncommon psychiatric condition in which patients present with non-bizarre delusions, but with no accompanying prominent hallucinations, thought disorder, mood disorder, or significant flattening of affect. I.e.: the patient believes something that is not real, while appearing to be perfectly normal.

The reason for concern, said the source, is the fact that the Governor seems to believe he won the Governors’ forum election and has even gone ahead to make a public acceptance speech.

- Jowo Mabinu