Former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has opened up about a tense moment he shared with then-Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, following the controversial 2013 Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) election.
In a video shared on The Guardian Nigeria, Amaechi recounted that the political atmosphere surrounding his second-term bid as NGF chairman was charged with both internal and external opposition. He said several political figures tried to delegitimize his victory after he emerged as winner.
According to him, “Governor Peter Obi was among those telling people that I did not win the election.” Amaechi added that their disagreement over the result came to a head in a rather unexpected setting — inside the Holy Trinity Church in Abuja.
He narrated, “Coincidentally, we met in church, kneeling at the altar. I told him, if you swear that I didn’t win the election, I would resign. He said no, that it was politics.”
Amaechi further explained that his re-election as NGF chairman intensified his already strained relationship with the presidency, particularly because he refused to withdraw from the race despite pressure from his colleagues.
He also linked the friction to his stance on financial transparency in the Federation Account and his resistance to the alleged transfer of Rivers State oil wells to other states.
The former governor described the experience as one of the most challenging periods of his political career but maintained that it strengthened his resolve to stand for fairness and accountability in governance. See, More, Here>>>
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