PDP gave pastors N6b for anti-APC, Buhari campaign, says Amaechi

• Minister alleges party ignorant of power reforms 

RIVERS State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, has accused some church leaders of receiving N6 billion bribe from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to campaign against the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

   The Director-General of Buhari Presidential Campaign Organization accused the PDP of bribing some undisclosed Christian leaders to campaign that they are planning to Islamize Nigeria if they win the presidential election.

   Meanwhile, the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Dakuku Peterside, who was accompanied by Amaechi, promised during a campaign at the University of Port Harcourt Tuesday to increase bursary for indigenes if elected.

   However, the Minister of State for Power, Mohammed Wakil, has warned the APC not to copy the PDP “roadmap on power,” as that would amount to “plagiarism” of President Goodluck Jonathan’s power sector reform document.

   Wakil gave the warning yesterday in Maiduguri, Borno State, while addressing newsmen on the implementation of the power sector reforms programme towards a 12,000 megawatts target by end of 2015. 

   He said the APC lacks a comprehensive and effective plan on how to reform the power sector to ensure 24-hour supply and distribution of electricity for domestic and industrial uses in the country.

   “APC lacks a coherent, comprehensive plan of what it wants to do with Nigeria’s power sector and so should not plagiarize our party’s electricity reform document that was being implemented by various electricity generation, transmission and distribution firms,” he said.

   The power sector reforms, he said, has been adjudged the best in the Sub-Saharan Africa and the best for the Nigerian nation and other African countries to adopt. According to him, the APC and its Vice Presidential candidate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, are ignorant of the status of reforms initiated by President Jonathan in the electricity sector.

   He queried: “How can a party promise Nigerians that states will be allowed to generate power when states have since been generating power under our power sector reforms?”

   Amaechi, speaking during an APC governorship campaign rally at Emohua, alleged that these Christian leaders have been circulating documents to Nigerians to that effect but advised those who have received the bribe to return the money to the Federal Government.

   “Some pastors collected N6 billion and are circulating document telling you not to vote for an Hausa man, not to vote for a Muslim, that they want to Islamize Nigeria. Tell them to return our N6 billion,” he said.

“They will tell you that Buhari wants to Islamize Nigeria, tell them we are too educated. I am Catholic, but no Catholic priest has told me that story right now in the Catholic Church because I will ask him how. If any pastor tells you that, tell him to return the money. Nobody can Islamise Nigeria. 

   “They have commercialized Jesus Christ. They should stop commercializing Jesus Christ. He is our Lord and Saviour. You know what Jesus Christ did in the temple: He chased them away. We shall chase away those pastors who have collected money from PDP to tell us lies. We shall chase them away on behalf of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

   However, Amaechi likened the forthcoming general election in the state to a referendum between him and President Jonathan based on their performances and how their administrations might have impacted on indigenes.

   “I told the President that the election in Rivers State is a referendum between him and me. I told him anywhere I go I will show what I have done. Let him show what he has done,” he said.