*  Amaechi 
The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party  has kicked against moves to get the Senate screen and confirm former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi as Minister, even as it picks holes in President Muhammadu Buhari's anti-corruption crusade.

 In the statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jerry Needam, Obuah countered the letter by  Amaechi to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki urging the Senate to disregard the Rivers State Government White Paper on the report of a judicial commission which investigated sale of Rivers asset and other related matters during his administration.

 Amaechi had argued that  he was already challenging the indictment in court and his supporters believe the commission of inquiry was meant to ridicule and persecute him for his role in the defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP in the March 2015 presidential election.

 However, in his reaction to the letter,  Rivers   State Chairman PDP, Felix Obuah argued that Amaechi having been indicted by a White Paper is unambiguously disqualified from being a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 He described Amaechi’s letter to the Senate President was “an attempt to ignore the White Paper report, undermine the crusade against corruption and expose President Buhari’s fight against corruption as partisan and targeted at only members of the opposition and perceived enemies.”

 “The invitation and interrogation of the Senate Minority Leader, former governor of Akwa Ibom State, and one of the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Godswill Akpabio, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, while Mr Rotimi Amaechi, indicted for corruption is freely going about lobbying to become a minister, is a pointer that Buhari’s fight against corruption is targeted at the opposition and perceived enemies.

 “The monumental fraud discovered by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry and huge revenue lost when Amaechi was governor of Rivers State cannot be ignored.

 “Amaechi has no defense to allegations of fraud against him as contained in the Government White Paper. He was invited and he failed to appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry.”

  Obuah further argued  that three sections of the Nigerian constitution – Sections 66 (1) (h) and 147 (5) – “unambiguously disqualify Mr Rotimi Amaechi from being a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

 “Therefore, Amaechi’s letter to the Senate President should be disregarded. It lacks merit and contradicted the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended" he affirmed.

 “The letter to the Senate President further makes mockery of Amaechi and amounts to desperation and glorification of corruption,” the PDP leader said.