- Says reposting of compromised policemen aimed at rigging elections,
destroying security
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has accused the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmud Yakubu, of taking actions that are inimical to credible rerun elections in the state by his secret meeting with the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC),Davies Ikanya, and Senator Magnus Abe on July 19, 2016.
Addressing thousands of PDP supporters at the Rivers East PDP senatorial campaign rally at Okehi, Etche Local Government Area yesterday, Wike also regretted the unfortunate posting of compromised policemen to Rivers State with the aim of damaging the security network ahead of the rerun elections.
The governor further alleged that the INEC chairman had concluded plans to postpone the July 30, 2016 rerun elections for fear of defeat expressed by the leadership of Rivers State APC.
He wondered why anyone would be happy to destroy Rivers State just because they want to satisfy the politician who funded the APC national elections efforts using Rivers State resources.
The governor said: “They are frustrating elections in Rivers State because of one man who sponsored elections for APC. They have posted electoral officers from APC states to rig elections and they want to accede to the request of the Rivers State APC to post out the Resident Electoral Commissioner.
“But the truth is that nobody can rig elections in Rivers State. The INEC National Chairman only has the power to postpone elections, but he has no power to rig elections here.
“As I speak to you, on July 19, 2016, they met with the INEC National Chairman in his office.
“Rivers State is key to the development of this country. Will they continue to deny us representation at the Senate and majority of the constituencies of the House of Representatives?”
He called on the people of Rivers State to continue to resist every attempt by INEC to rig elections in the state because power resides with the people.
According to him: “You saw what happened in Turkey where the people effectively resisted the Army who plotted a coup to dethrone an elected government. Here in Rivers State, the people will resist any attempt to use compromised security personnel to rig the polls.”
The governor said the APC are not campaigning for the rerun elections because of the assurances they have received that the elections will be rigged in their favour.
He noted that just as the Rivers APC backed by security agencies could not swap the result sheets handed over to them by compromised INEC officials on March 19, 2016, so they will fail when the forthcoming rerun elections are conducted as a result of the vigilance of the people.
He reiterated that anyone posted to Rivers State with the aim of rigging the elections should inform his family the location of his hidden wealth as he will face the treatment reserved for armed robbers.
Commenting on the politicised posting of compromised senior police officers to Rivers State, Wike said he has written four letters to the new inspector general of police on the issue and made 45 calls to the police chief on the issue without getting a response.
