RIVERS STATE GUBER TUSSLE: FEARFUL OF APPEALS' COURT OUTCOME, AMAECHI 'SETTLES' SOBEREKON, GUBERNATORIAL OPPONENT, WITH N400 MILLION, OTHER JUICY OFFERS

The much expected ruling on the case brought against Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi by the gubernatorial candidate of the Accord Party in the 2007 general election, Chief Bekinbo Soberekon before the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt may not be heard after all.

Chief Soberekon remains the only candidate in the April 14, 2007 governorship election, who is still challenging the declaration of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the election.

Xclusivenigeria.com authoritatively gathered that the Accord Party governorship candidate have decided to drop the case following pressures from associates of Governor Amaechi, especially those from the Kalabari axis.

Already, a secret meeting between Chief Soberekon and Governor Amaechi was recently held at Government House, Port Harcourt, at the instance of the governorship candidate of the Action Congress (AC) in the 2007 election in the state, Prince Tonye Princewill, where an agreement was reached towards effecting an out of court settlement.

According to a close associate of Chief Soberekon, who spoke to Xclusivenigeria.com on the condition of anonymity, the Kalabari-born seasoned politician recently received a whooping sum of N400, 000,000.00 (Four Hundred Million Naira ) from Governor Amaechi so as to withdraw his matter from the Court of Appeal.

The source disclosed that part of the agreement reached between Chief Soberekon and Governor Amaechi was that the Accord Party candidate will nominate four commissioners and will also have access to juicy contracts from the state government.

The source further said that Chief Soberekon choose O.K Isokriari and Sons Limited, a Port Harcourt-based construction firm as the company that would be executing government contracts on his behalf.

Xclusivenigeria.com believes that Governor Amaechi decided to reach a truce with Soberekon knowing fully well that he would lose at the Court of Appeal. BY OUR REPORTER