2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS: PDP: Ex-NERC Chairman Amadi Rejects Atiku Campaign Appointment

2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS: PDP: Ex-NERC Chairman Amadi Rejects Atiku Campaign Appointment

Save Our Nation SON

October 11, 2022

Former Chairman/Chief Executive of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and Director, The Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts (ASSPT), Dr Sam Amadi, has rejected his appointment to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Committee.

He was nominated as the Director of Research for the party’s campaign for the 2023 presidential election.

In a three-page letter dated October 10, 2022, to Aminu Tambuwal, Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council and Governor of Sokoto State, Amadi said he turned down the offer because it was against his non-partisan posture.

The public intellectual noted that the appointment conflicted with other positions that he already held which demanded non-partisanship.

He listed such positions to include the Director, The Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Secretary, Political and Strategy Committee of the Christian Association of Nigeria, and Arise News where he is an analyst in the television outfit.

He, however, thanked the PDP and its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar for the honour done him.

“Notwithstanding that, I am honoured to be appointed as one of the directors to work with you, I humbly want to decline the appointment, and hereby abstain from participating in such a role. The decision to decline the offer has stemmed from the conflicts of interest emanating from various responsibilities in which I act as a leader of different platforms where political neutrality and objectivity are required of me,” he stated.

Continuing, he explained that “As the Secretary of the Committee, I bear responsibility to support other distinguished Christian leaders to guide the leadership of the Christian community to work together with leaders of other faiths to fashion a common agenda for justice, freedom, unity, and prosperity of the Nigerian state. As part of this responsibility, I helped to put together The Charter for A New Nigeria, a non-partisan, not denominational Christian vision of justice, fairness, freedom, and prosperity for all Nigerian peoples and citizens. Members of the committee have different political views and interests, and my leadership needs to be non-partisan in order to be effective. An acceptance of this appointment will undermine the neutrality expected of my standing and membership of the committee.”

Noting that he greatly cherished these institutional roles and believed that they required him to maintain the non-partisanship posture, Amadi pleaded that the rejection of the offer was in no way a vote of no confidence in the PDP presidential campaign or rejection of the virtues of the members of that great party and its presidential candidate.