Is Amaechi Finished With Chidi Lloyd’s Defection?

By Chuks Ekpeneru

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi may have felt pains over the defection of his long standing ally, Dr. Chidi Lloyd.

Amaechi and Chidi, come from the same Ikwerre stock and have come a long way in their political journey.

When Amaechi was Governor, Chidi was Majority leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Chidi later emerged as Director-General of Tonye Cole Campaign Organization when APC fought unsuccessfully to capture Rivers State.

The depth of their relationship is captured in the 2013 fracas in the Rivers State House of Assembly where Chidi was seen carrying the mace of the house to brutalise another member, Michael Chinda.

Chidi was fighting then to stop impeachment of the then Speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Amachree, who was loyal to then Governor Amaechi.

Chinda required several surgeries and had to be taken abroad for recuperation.

When eventually PDP’s Nyesom Wike became Governor in 2015, he directed the Commissioner for Justice, Mr Emmanuel Aguma (SAN), to ensure the conclusive prosecution of Chidi Lloyd.

All that may have become a thing of the past as Chidi on Monday formally defected to the PDP and apologized for his past roles against Wike and the PDP.

Leading his traditional ruler and political leaders from his native Akpabu and Itu communities of Emohua, he met Governor Wike and pledged allegiance to PDP and the state government.

For Amaechi the pains of losing an ally who was ready to die for him may be too much.

This comes at a time the former governor of the oil-rich state is rumoured to have his eyes on the Presidency in 2023.

To this end he may have started subtle reconciliation with perceived enemies across the Niger-Delta region and the South-East where he is still seen as one of those that sabotaged the Goodluck Jonathan presidency.

The latest is reconciliation with the Minister of State, Petroleum, Mr Timipre Sylva, himself former governor of Bayelsa State.

Amaechi is aware of the subterfuge involved in Nigerian politics, therefore losing a statutory member of the APC in Rivers State may not be a good news.

After the crises that engulfed the Rivers State chapter of the APC the exit of one of the trusted allies of the transportation minister including Senator Magnus Abe and Ago Aguma, there is no doubt that this is a devastating blow to Amaechi.

But is it a death blow? Time will tell!

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