Amaechi, Minister For Transportation, To Be Turbanned In Daura

By Adesina Soyooye

Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Chibuke Amaechi, is to become a Chief of the Daura Emirate Council, Katsina State.

Amaechi’s turbanning ceremony, which will be performed by the Emir of Daura, His Royal Highness, Alhaji (Dr) Umar Farouk Umar, CON, will take place on February 5, 2022.

Venue is the Emirs Palace.

He will be bestowed with the title: Dan Amana Daura

Amaechi, a two-time Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, two- time Governor of Rivers State, two-time Chairman of the Nigeria’s  Governor’s Forum, all under the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2014, in support of the Presidential aspiration of then Major General Buhari who contested against, and defeated incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

He was the Director General of Buhari’s Campaign in 2015 and 2019. His reward was his appointment, by President Buhari, as the Minister of Transportation and Aviation in 2015, and the Minister of Transport, only in 2019, a position he holds till date.

Amaechi is said to be one of the Ministers closest to Buhari’s heart and there have been speculations that  the President could spring a surprise and support him as his successor in 2023. The Minister is said to be acceptable to the North, and according to the speculations, the President thinks he could be used to assuage the desires of the South-east, being Igbo from Rivers State, for a President of Igbo extraction.

By his turbanning by the Daura Emirate Council, Amaechi has followed in the footsteps of Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Kanu, and the former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha.

On being turbanned, Okorocha promised to build a University  that would be tuition free, in the Emirate.

President Muhammadu Buhari is from the Daura Emirate of Katsina State.