Wike Alleges Plot to Postpone Elections
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, yesterday revealed that he had information that the security agencies want to collude with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to postpone the election; to conduct it after the president-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari would have been sworn in.
Wike made disclosure in Port Harcourt during a meeting of the leadership of both parties and service commanders representing the Army, Navy, Airforce, and the police.
The interactive peace session was facilitated by the state Commissioner of Police, Hosea Kama, at the headquarters of the state police command, along Moscow Road.
The PDP governorship candidate stated: “We need assurance that the security agencies and the APC are not planning to postpone the governorship election. We also need assurance that the security agencies and the APC are not planning to do something that will lead to the cancellation of the election that may lead to the election being conducted again under Buhari’s administration.
“We are fully prepared for the election. If they like let them bring the chairman if APC to conduct the election, we will still win.”
The commissioner of police in his address declared that the security agencies would carry out massive deployment of troops in Rivers State before, during and after the election, adding that anyone who attempts to foment trouble would be dealt with.
Kama also warned: “Any security officer who is not on duty on election day should not wear his uniform. Any security personnel who comes out wearing his uniform when he is not on electoral duty will be disciplined. We have withdrawn security attached to all politicians. Those who have not sent back their security men should do so immediately.”
He stressed: “Please tell all your supporters and followers to protect youth corps members. Ask your supporters to conduct themselves well. I urge you to guide against unguarded utterances. Murder is murder; any of your supporters who kills anyone will never go scot free. Whoever commits murder will be arrested and prosecuted.
“The security agencies will be very professional. If you have any complaint please feel free to contact any security officer. We will be impartial. We will be neutral. We will provide a level playing field for all candidates. We ask that you enjoin all your supporters to stay clear of criminality.
“We are all brothers. Let us be able to shake hands after this election. Let us participate in this election without bitterness. Rivers State will remain after the election. Tribes will remain after the election. Please let us do anything that will bring shame to us.”
The Rivers State Chairman of the APC, Dr. Davies Ikanya, declared that the APC had lost confidence in the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Gesila Khan, because she has allegedly taken sides with the PDP.
He also accused Khan of recruiting PDP card-carrying members as INEC ad-hoc staff who manipulate the results in favour of the PDP.
He requested: “The APC wants the security agencies to take a roll call of the 26,000 ad hoc staff with INEC in Rivers State is using to conduct the election, so that we can properly identify the genuine youth corps members. We are saying that the REC has allowed the PDP to smuggle the names of its members into the list of ad-hoc staff.”
Ikanya stated: “She has repeatedly turned down our request to verify the list of the ad-hoc staff. She has substituted 50 per cent of the original names with members of the PDP. At the presidential election, we did not see result sheets. How can there be peace when she has bluntly refused to listen to our complaints.”
At the close of the event, the commissioner asked the governorship candidate of the PDP and the APC, their running mates as well as the chairmen of both parties to sign a third peace pact which they did.
The chairman of the PDP, Felix Obuah, did not attend the event. Wike explained that the party did not want to take chances because “our chairman was threatened last night by some persons who told him that h cannot hide.”
The governorship APC, Dr. Dakuku Peterside; Senator candidate of the Magnus Abe; Minister of Sports, Dr. Tammy Danagogo; Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Kenneth Kobani; Director General of Wike’s campaign, Desmond Akawor.
Meanwhile, the Director of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the state, Mrs. Ngonzi Nwatarali, said only 4,500 youth corps members were part of 26,000 ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) enlisted to conduct the general elections.
She said: “Although, the NYSC contributed just a fraction of the 26,000 ad-hoc workforce of 4,500 graduates, we ask the security agencies to give them adequate security wherever they are posted to for election duties. Their parents have invested so much in training them and it is important that they are given adequate protection while on national assignment.”