"While we have no influence over who other parties might choose to endorse, we wish to make it unequivocally clear that we have we not entered any alliances or coalitions with the APC or any other party in Rivers State, neither have we made any decisions to dovetail parties or seek strategic alliances as we approach the state elections in a few days."
The leadership of the African Action Congress (AAC) has clarified its stand on the endorsement of its Rivers State governorship candidate by the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying it has "no alliances or coalition with the APC or any other parties in Rivers state".
At a meeting with APC supporters in Rivers State on Wednesday morning, Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation and leader of the APCin Rivers State and the South-South, had pitched his tent with Awara Biokpomabo, the AAC governorship candidate in the state, saying: “This morning, the leadership of the party met and agreed that we would work with a party called African Action Congress (AAC), while we are still in court to reclaim our mandate.
“So, on Saturday (March 9), we will vote for AAC. You must go home and vote for AAC. There should be no excuse not to vote, because there will be security for everybody. You must prepare and make sure you win the governorship election."
However, in a denouncement conveyed in a press release signed byits Deputy National Chairman (Administration), Dr. Malcolm Fabiyi, AAC said: "We were made aware of the APC’s recent endorsement of the AAC’s Rivers State gubernatorial candidate in the forthcoming elections on the 9th of March. Rotimi Amaechi, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, has pitched his tent with Awara Biokpomabo, our governorship candidate in the African Action Congress (AAC).
"While we have no influence over who other parties might choose to endorse, we wish to make it unequivocally clear that we have we not entered any alliances or coalitions with the APC or any other party in Rivers State, neither have we made any decisions to dovetail parties or seek strategic alliances as we approach the state elections in a few days."
Fabiyi reassured the public that "the AAC, led by Omoyele Sowore, promised Nigerians a different style of governance at the national level; we also believe we can bring this new promise of transparency and progress to bear at the state level".
"We urge all PVC-bearing Nigerians to come out en masse on the 9th of March and vote for transformation and a true paradigm shift, the kind that only the African Action Congress can bring," he said.