Port Harcourt — Rivers State Governor, Mr Chibuike Amaechi, has alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, factional leaders in the state decided to form their faction because he turned down their alleged suggestion to loot the state treasury for them to share.

Amaechi said the politicians deluded themselves by imagining that the old order still subsisted where money was doled out for work not done, explaining that when they failed in their game plan, they resorted to dubious antics of forming a parallel party and indulged in all forms of illicit activities.

But spokesman of the factional leaders, Mr. Jerry Needam, said the claim by the Governor was "a far cry from the truth" and challenged the Governor to show proof that the factional leaders were being beggarly.

Speaking through his Senior Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. David Iyofor, the Governor said the reason for the formation of the faction was because they were not given contracts, not accommodated in money talks and so on.

"The outlandish and ridiculous statements by this group is indicative of their desperation to throw the state into political turmoil for their selfish pecuniary gains and no responsible government will allow that and certainly the Amaechi government will not condone that."

He said the so-called factional leaders were at liberty to formulate any lie to justify their action because they must necessarily give account of their spending to their sponsors and paymasters.

Amaechi said he had a covenant with God and the people to deliver the dividends of their taxes and individual contributions to the state, explaining that the development of the state was paramount to him.

The governor dismissed the agitation and faceless followership of those angling for parallel party office, pointing out that a greater percentage of the people and electorate knew that "there is only one PDP in the state, led by Chief Godswill Ake.

"He was unanimously elected as the party's chairman with other executive members of the party in a free and fair open election where PDP delegates duly voted him into office and other members of his executives at the Alfred Diete Spiff Sports complex," he said.