Presidency accuses APC, Amaechi of making ‘treasonable pronouncement’

Doyin Okupe

2015 sha........The Presidency has accused the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of “treason”.Amaechi, who is the Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, had, at a party function in Lagos last Tuesday, canvassed improved funding of the armed forces for counter-insurgency campaign.
According to him, “How many Nigerians remember that Buhari is a strong leader? You need a strong leader to chase away Boko Haram or Boko Haram will chase us away. There are reports that 32 persons have been killed in Bauchi and Gombe, so you need a Buhari to actually fight the insurgents.
“The attitude of the federal government that it is a northern business is bad. Let them go there. It may not be what they intend but that is the way people read it. Whether people say it or not, you will see clearly that the federal government has not done well enough in the area of insurgency.”
But, in a reaction through a statement yesterday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said Amaechi’s position amounted to a “treasonable pronouncement”.
Okupe also wondered why APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, found nothing wrong with Amaechi’s statement.
Okupe accused him of “compromising his personal integrity and enviable military antecedents” by endorsing the statement issued on his behalf.
He said: ”The statement by the Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation asking some soldiers to mutiny against the military authorities is a treasonable pronouncement.
“No responsible Nigerian or political organisation for that matter should ever contemplate encouraging or supporting mutiny in the Nigerian Army under any circumstances whatsoever.
“It is a pity that because of Amaechi’s huge financial commitment to the General Buhari campaign, the presidential candidate of the APC has compromised his personal integrity and enviable military antecedents to endorse such a reckless statement issued on his behalf.”