Former Rivers State governor and ex-Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has stated that his departure from the Peoples Democratic Party PDP was not voluntary but the result of internal party actions that removed his influence in Rivers State

Amaechi, now a member of the African Democratic Congress ADC, said in a televised interview that the PDP structure in Rivers State was taken from his control and transferred to political rivals

He linked this development to decisions allegedly driven from the Presidency during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan

According to Amaechi, the critical point was the reported intervention of Jonathan and his wife Patience in the internal affairs of the PDP in Rivers State

He claimed that the couple supported a faction opposed to his leadership, which he said resulted in his effective loss of control over the party’s political machinery in the state

Amaechi stated that his eventual exit from the PDP followed what he described as a systematic process to reduce his political relevance, culminating in his suspension from the party on allegations of anti party activities

He has consistently argued that the suspension was politically motivated and that it directly contributed to the formation of the new PDP nPDP, a breakaway group of governors and party leaders who opposed Jonathan’s camp

The nPDP later joined with other opposition elements to form the All Progressives Congress APC, which went on to defeat Jonathan in the presidential election and bring Muhammadu Buhari to office

Amaechi subsequently became a prominent figure in the Buhari administration, serving two terms as Minister of Transportation and participating actively in national political campaigns

His recent remarks revisit the internal conflicts that preceded the realignment of major political forces in Nigeria, emphasizing the role of control over state party structures and elite rivalries in reshaping the national political landscape