•’INEC chair working for Wike, PDP’
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has said the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and his cohorts, have concluded plans to bomb offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), destroy voting materials and disrupt the elections.
In a state broadcast yesterday, Wike said: “Credible intelligence has linked Rotimi Amaechi and his cohorts to plans to scuttle the elections in Rivers State, with the support of unpatriotic military and police officers.
“The security officers have been detailed to provide covert and overt operations for Amaechi’s armed militants and thugs in military camouflage and fake police uniforms to bomb INEC offices, cart away or destroy voting materials at registration area centres, and disrupt the voting process.
According to the governor, several Hilux vehicles painted in military colours and gunboats have been handed over to the militants to carry out the illegal attack.
He said: “It is therefore unfortunate that instead of using internal party mechanisms to settle the crisis before it was too late, Rotimi Amaechi chose to act with impunity and is now haunted by the unpleasant outcomes of his arrogance and disdain for due process.
“Even at that, the Supreme Court has spoken, and the only rational path left for Amaechi is to recognise that justice has prevailed over impunity.”
The governor admonished Amaechi to be behave maturely by “accepting the consistent decisions of the courts in good faith, eat the humble pie, put his damaged political enclave in order and wait for 2023 elections”.
“I appeal to the conscience of Rotimi Amaechi, as a brother and fellow compatriot, to stop stoking the drumbeats of violence and allow the prevailing peace to continue in our state,” Wike added.
But Amaechi, in his reaction, accused Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, of working for Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Amaechi addressed reporters last night in reaction to Wike’s broadcast earlier in the day. He urged Nigerians to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari and other candidates of APC to take Nigeria to the next level.
He said: “I know that everybody has been expecting me to talk on the court cases, but I will not, because I am just a party member. The party chairman has already said INEC is working for the PDP, an example is the fact that there is a stay of execution granted by the Court of Appeal, just because the INEC Chairman was Director of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, (TETFUND) under Wike as Minister of State for Education, he now chose the court order to implement and the one not to.
“Obviously, the INEC chairman is trying to assist Wike become a second term governor without election. We understand his game, but we believe in the judiciary. You heard the President when he said the injustice will be addressed. We will deal with the justice and not the judgment.
“I listened to our governor when he spoke about violence. I do not like violence, because if you kill somebody, you cannot replace the life. APC has just lost 15 persons to stampede at Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, and I was touring people’s houses to identify with their pains.
“When former President Goodluck Jonathan came for campaign here and 23 people died, I saw them eating lunch. Persons have gone, whether for good or for bad, they will never come back. I will never support violence and I will never support injustice.
“We will vote on Saturday for President Buhari. If INEC decides to obey the stay of execution, then we will arrange for election. But since the INEC chairman is working for the PDP and does not want to obey the court’s decisions, so be it. God bless him.”