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From John Adams, Minna
With barely 48 hours after Transport Minister, Chief Rotimi Amaechi declared his intention to contest the 2023 Presidency under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), a Chieftain of the party in Niger state, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa has asked Amaechi not to bother to come to Niger state for campaign as the people will not vote for him.
Vatsa’s grudge with Amaechi was informed by his role in the abandoned N6billion Baro ports project in the state which he (Vatsa) said the people of the state believed that the Minister was instrumental to it being abandoned
The former Commissioner for Information, culture and Tourism in the state who took to his social media platform to lambast the Minister, accusing him of single handedly frustrated the Baro ports project wrote; “Rotimi Amaechi has declared for Presidency 2023 and I will be his number one opposition and the reason is simple, He hasn’t delivered on Baro Port.
“Baro port is our oil here in Niger state. You said “Baro is not Viable”, Dubai wasn’t viable but the Arabs made it viable. Make Baro viable and then we’ll talk. NO BARO, NO VOTE IN NIGER”.
The former publicity secretary of the party stated further that “to Amaechi, Baro port is not viable but the rail line from Nigeria to Niger Republic which they want him to come and complete as President in 2023 is more viable than Baro port”.
Vatsa pointed out that the decision to abandoned of the Baro port project was not only a great dis-service to Niger state but the entire north as it would have been the only port in the region, stressing that “those who frustrated that project should not come to Niger state to ask for anything. That is why I am asking Amaechi not to border come to Niger state to campaign.
“Niger state can not vote for enemy of her progress, the Baro port is so dear to the people because it was meant to increase the revenue and economy of the state, and also create jobs among the people”, he said.
According to Vatsa, “now that Amaechi wants to be President of Nigeria in 2023, he should go back to River state and tell the people why Nigeria To Niger Republic rail line is more viable than Kano-Kaduna-Makurdi-Enugu-Aba-Porthardcourt rail lines”.
On the zoning arrangement in the party, Vatsa believed that, though every Nigerian is constitutionally qualified to contest any elective position in the country, a south-south person, he said should not eye the presidency in 2023 after Goodluck Jonathan just left the office.
“I strongly believed that it is the turn of the south Easterners for purpose of equity, justice and fairness. This country does not belong to a particular section or sections, so it will be morally right to allow the Igbo Man be the next President of the country in 2023”.
