The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said an audio recording where
Rivers State Governor, Nyeson Wike was allegedly threatened to kill
electoral officers has confirmed its earlier fears about plots by the
governor and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to achieve victory through
sinister means during the Rivers legislative rerun elections.
A statement signed by the new National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji
Abdullahi, the APC said the only logical conclusion to be drawn from the
audio recording was that the victory of the PDP during the election was
achieved through underhand dealing and intimidation of electoral
officials.
The Statement reads:
Rivers Rerun: Wike’s Leaked Audio Comments Have Confirmed Our Fears
The leaked audio recording showing the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike
admitting to bribing some electoral officials and threatening to kill them
if his instructions were not followed has confirmed the fears raised by
the All Progressives Congress(APC) in the leadup to the recently conducted
December 10, 2016 legislative re-run elections in the State.
Going by the revelations from the leaked audio recordings, it is obvious
that Governor Wike may have engaged in unwholesome conducts that might
have compromised the integrity of the electoral process and undermined his
office as the Chief Security Officer of a state. The only logical
conclusion from this therefore is that the electoral victories of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have been achieved through underhand
dealings and intimidation of officials.
Recall that on December 6, 2016, the APC alerted security agencies on
reports of a massive arms build-up and other sinister plots that Wike and
the PDP planned to execute on the day of the legislative rerun elections
in Rivers State.
Nigerians have watched with grave concern how the process of the just
concluded legislative rerun election has led to the death of ordinary
citizens in the state including security officers. The statement that
Governor Wike appeared to have made on record has now pointed directly at
where responsibility should be placed for the violence that attended the
election.
It is also evident that the allegations by the Rivers State government and
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of an assassination threat on Wike and
the allegation by Wike that APC Governors funded violence in the state
during the election might have been deliberately contrived to cover-up the
role that the Governor had played in the violence that attended the
election.
The APC condemns any form of violence as it relates to elections or any
other matter. In this instance, we urge security agencies to do the
needful and ensure that sponsors and perpetrators of violence, no matter
how highly placed, are brought to justice.
SIGNED:
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress