Jonathan Admits Not Developing Rivers …Rally, A Waste Of Time -APC

President Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday, admitted the criticisms by the Rivers State Governor and Director-General of the All Progressives Congress  (APC) Presidential Campaign Organisation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi on the execution of projects in Rivers State.
The President, however, said that he took Amaechi’s criticism as a challenge to do ‘something’ for his people in Rivers and Bayelsa states, if elected for a second term.
President Jonathan, who was speaking at his party’s presidential campaign rally held at Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Igwuruta-Ali in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, said he had not allocated more developments to his people so as not to be portrayed as an ethnic leader.
He also said that his resolve to ensure equal distribution of projects across the country was an indication that he is an honest and selfless leader who meant well for the country.
It will recalled that Governor Amaechi had at his 7th year Anniversary celebration and the APC Presidential campaign rally held at the same venue, criticised President Jonathan for not doing anything for Rivers people since he became president even though the president recorded the highest votes in the state in the 2011 presidential election.
According to him, Amaechi’s criticism is a good news, that shows the rest of the country that he is honest and transparent, adding that if he had concentrated development in the South-South states, Amaechi himself would have exposed him to the world, as a selfish leader.
“I have been a part and parcel of Rivers State, so if the DG said I concentrated development in other states and left the South-South, it is good news. It shows that I am an honest and transparent man.
“And if I have concentrated on developing the South South states, opponents would have been the ones to expose me to the rest of the world. But that shows clearly that we meant well for this country”, President Jonathan explained.
President Jonathan, who arrived the stadium from Ondo State at about 4.00pm, commended the PDP supporters for turning out in large number to support him and the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the state, Barr. Nyesom Wike, saying the large turn-out showed that his re-election and that of Wike is already settled in the state.
He challenged Rivers people to reclaim the state from the APC by voting for PDP, promising that the state will have indelible print of developments as soon as PDP takes over power.
“What I will assure you is that PDP will surely win in Rivers and all the South-South states, you should work for us, vote for me and Sambo, and on February 28, vote for Wike and Ipalibo, definitely we must leave indelible print in Rivers State”, he said.
Presenting the party’s flag to the state gubernatorial candidate, Barr. Nyesom Wike, the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, urged all party faithful, including the aggrieved ones to work with Wike to deliver the party in the next month’s elections.
He promised all those who work for the PDP a place, if the party wins.
However, some supporters of the party, believed to be loyalists of the 16 aggrieved governorship aspirants of the party, walked out of the rally venue, when the party’s National Chairman, Mua’zu was presenting the flag to Barr. Wike as the governorship candidate of the party.
One of the PDP supporters, who gave his name as Adline Briggs from Buguma said, Buguma people would only vote for President Jonathan to come back, and any other governorship candidate from Riverine.
Also speaking with newsmen, one of the party aggrieved governorship aspirants, Dumo Lulu-Briggs urged Rivers people to vote for President Jonathan while he reserved comments on governorship race in the state.
Meanwhile the Presidential re-election campaign rally in Rivers State by President Goodluck Jonathan has been described as a waste of time and an embarrassment to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Reacting to the rally held at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Igwuruta-Ali, Ikwerre Local Government Area, Rivers State, the All Progressives Congress (APC), said in a statement yesterday that the poor attendance only serves to confirm the unpopularity of President Goodluck Jonathan and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, while the Federal Government merely ended up confirming APC’s claim that the President has done nothing to deserve the votes of Rivers people in the February 14 presidential election.
“To say that President Jonathan and his PDP wasted their time in coming to Rivers State to campaign is to state the obvious. The half-empty stadium despite the renting of supporters from Bayelsa, Delta, Abia and Akwa Ibom states, speaks volumes about Jonathan’s unpopularity among our people,” Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said.
Ikanya said the party was happy that Jonathan, during the failed rally, personally confirmed that he has done nothing for Rivers State and her people as evidenced by his monumental neglect of the state.

Rivers APC told the President to stop dreaming of re-election as it will never happen.
The party said: “We want to assure you, Mr. President, that you will never be re-elected because you have failed woefully, and do not deserve any re-election. After all that Rivers State and her people did for you, you could be so mean not to site one single project in Rivers State. We have no reason whatsoever to recommend you to any section of this country for re-election.
“It is a pity that out of all the states President Jonathan has visited, it is only in Rivers that he could not name a single development project he initiated, not to talk of executing.  We can now better understand Governor Chibuike Amaechi, who has, at various fora, challenged President Jonathan to mention one single development project he has brought to Rivers State.”
Rivers APC vowed to intensify campaigns to ensure that both President Jonathan and the state PDP gubernatorial candidate, Chief Nyesom Wike, do not get up to 10 per cent of votes to be cast in Rivers during the February polls.
He congratulated Rivers people for staying at home and allowing Mr. President to address a half-empty stadium, thereby telling him and the PDP in unmistakable terms that Rivers State is fully and squarely an APC state.

Rivers APC governorship candidate,Dr. Dakuku Peterside, addressing Oba of Ogbaland, Eze Chukwumela Nnam Obi II during a courtesy visit to his palace at Omoku Town, shortly before the campaign rally, yesterday