I told Jonathan, I have given my allegiance to Buhari “because I am not tribalistic” – Amaechi

Minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has explained why he left the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for All Progressives Congress, APC to support Buhari’s presidential campaign.

Amaechi who was in 2013 the Governor of Rivers State had defected to APC and eventually became the Director-General of Buhari’s presidential campaign.

Amaechi while welcoming newly defected APC politicians from the PDP in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Saturday said that he gave his allegiance to Buhari because he was not tribalistic.

The  newly defected politicians are Alabo Michael West, John Bazia, Chima Obinna and Salvation Ezengwogwo.

He said that ex-President Goodluck Jonathan begged him and offered him juicy opportunities, but he turned them down.

Following his defection, the relationship between both of them turned sour.

“Next year, we are starting prayer session. You know, when Goodluck fought us, he was not fighting me, he was fighting God, and I knew he would fail,” Amaechi said.

“Tell them, from next year, prayer will start. I will come to Port Harcourt like I used to come, and I will say this will happen, and it will happen.

“Let me tell you who I am. I do not drink, I have never tasted alcohol in my life. I don’t smoke; I am not tribalistic. Whether in Rivers State or in Nigeria, I am not tribalistic.

“If I were tribalistic, President Goodluck Jonathan offered me an opportunity to remain in the PDP, he offered me all sorts of opportunities and I said that I have given my allegiance to Buhari because I am not tribalistic.”

Amaechi also boasted to the politicians that 90 per cent of the politicians in Rivers State passed through him.

“Let me welcome my friends. Like they told you, they shared power with me in the Assembly. And I tell people that there are not up to 10 per cent of politicians in Rivers State who didn’t pass through me. Mention names, I know their character,” he said.

The defection of these four politicians, Alabo Michael West, John Bazia, Chima Obinna and Salvation Ezengwogwo is part of a wave of defections from the PDP to APC.

In the past few weeks, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and Senator Elisha Abbo of Adamawa State defected from the PDP to the APC.