"Nigerians have been forced to go through the eye of the needle in search of money with which to meet their daily needs and feed their families."
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has accused Rotimi Amaechi of being a member of a "vicious cabal" that has inflicted pain and suffering on Nigerians, including residents of Rivers.
Mr Amaechi, a former minister of Transportation, is the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
The PDP challenged Mr Amaechi to deny that he has no hand in the naira crisis and the fuel scarcity in the country.
Director of Publicity and Communications of the Rivers PDP Campaign Council, Ogbonna Nwuke, made the allegation against Mr Amaechi in a statement on Monday.
He said Mr Amaechi recently reconciled with members of the PDP's Presidential Campaign Council in Rivers State and has been secretly working with the party's presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and "others in the cabal to starve Nigerians of much-needed funds in the name of politics".
"Nigerians have been forced to go through the eye of the needle in search of money with which to meet their daily needs and feed their families.
"Unknown to most Nigerians, the vicious cabal that has made it a duty to inflict pain and much-neededon the rest of us has done so deliberately to influence the outcome of the forthcoming elections.
"As a political party, we have gathered credible intelligence which supports the view that the leader of the APC, Rt Hon. Rotimi Amaechi is a member of the cabal that has caused the naira crisis as well as the fuel scarcity and brought untold hardships on ordinary Rivers people and other Nigerians," Mr Nwuke said in the statement.
"We challenge the former Minister of Transportation to deny this fact. Let him deny that he is not one of those that are working with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar at this time to undermine the genuine aspiration of the people of Southern Nigeria."
Wike not joining APC
The PDP refuted claims made by the APC governorship candidate Tonye Cole that Governor Nyesom Wike was trying to join the APC through the back door.
The statement said the comment attributed to Mr Cole showed he knows very little about politics.
Mr Nwuke said Governor Wike would have deserted the PDP a long time ago if he had wanted to.
"The Governor has maintained a principled position that he will not leave a party that he helped to build," he added.
"The stance of Governor Nyesom Wike since the crisis erupted in the party at the national level is well known. He has publicly maintained a principled position that he will not leave a party that he helped to build. That position has not changed.
"Wike has insisted that he and members of the G5 would remain in the PDP to ensure that the tenets which made the party a destination of choice are not destroyed by power mongers and selfish politicians who have little faith in the unity and stability of Nigeria.
"Pastor Tonye Cole has no reason to waste his saliva. Governor Nyesom Wike is going nowhere. He has no plan today, tomorrow or in the near future to join the APC through the front or back door.
"In trying to curry cheap popularity and catch a few mentions in the press, Cole is exposing his underbelly and making a great mockery of himself.
Continuing, Mr Nwuke said: "The Rivers PDP is fielding candidates from the governorship through the Senate and the House of Representatives to the House of Assembly. This means that we are deeply rooted in our political party, differences at the national level notwithstanding.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"Our decision not to support the candidate of the party in the presidential elections is something Nigerians understand. If Tonye Cole is unwilling to support the candidate of his own party, he should say so.
"Rather than peeping at a political crystal ball that is sending confusing signs about people that he cannot decode, Cole should retire home and face the reality of his impending defeat at the forthcoming poll.
"From all indications, candidates of the Rivers PDP are poised to win on February 25th and again on March 11, 2023. And Rivers people who support our great party and its leadership are working tirelessly to ensure that victory is won," he said.
David Iyofor, the spokesperson for Mr Amaechi, declined comment when PREMIUM TIMES contacted him on Monday.
