of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and his cohorts in liaison
with unpatriotic military and police officers have concluded plans to bomb
INEC offices, destroy voting materials at Registration Area Centres and
disrupt the peaceful conduct of the general elections in the state.
Governor Wike also declared Friday 15th February, 2019 as public holiday
for Rivers people to pray for God’s intervention in ensuring that the
elections are peaceful.
In a state broadcast on Thursday ahead of the general elections, Governor
Wike said that credible intelligence revealed the unpatriotic plot of
the Minister of Transportation.
He said: “Credible intelligence has linked Rotimi Amaechi and his cohorts
in the factionalised APC to prevent the peaceful conduct of the general
elections in Rivers State with the support of some unpatriotic military
and police officers.
“The security officers have been detailed to provide covert and over
operational covers for Rotimi Amaechi’s armed militants and thugs on
military camouflage and fake police uniforms to bomb INEC Offices, cart
away or destroy voting materials at Registration Area Centres, and
disrupt the voting processes across the state on a scale that will force
INEC to abruptly call off elections on the ground of insecurity “.
The Governor said that several Hilux vehicles painted in military colours
and gunboats donated by the Executive Director (Technical) of the Nigerian
Ports Authority, Hon Sekonte Davies have been handed over to the militants
to carry out the illegal anti-democratic attacks across the state.
While expressing worry on the needless threats of violence by the
Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council at the party’s
last Presidential Campaign Rally on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, Governor
Wike said the APC Internal Crisis was a fallout of the Amaechi’s love for
impunity, arrogance and disdain for due process.
“It is therefore most unfortunate that instead of using internal party
mechanisms to settle the festering crisis before it was too late, Rotimi
Amaechi chose to act with impunity and is now hunted 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 Rotimi Amaechi is to recognise the fact that Justice has
prevailed over impunity “.
He advised him to be political matured enough to accept 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.
The governor stated that Rivers State is peace and ready for the general
elections. He warned against any negative actions that will upset the
peace of the state and disrupt her economic processes which are key to
the survival of Nigeria.
He said: “I wish to therefore 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 dear Rivers
State “.
Governor Wike added: “At this point, let me remind us that these are
strange and tempting times in our political experience that call for
utmost vigilance and maturity in our response to the willful provocations
from the APC and the security agencies, who are clearly working together
on a well choreographed script to destabilize the State and prevent the
general elections from holding in the State”.
He called on Rivers people to remain peaceful remain peaceful and go about
with their lawful activities and refrain from returning violence for
violence despite the provocation
The Governor called on the International Community to hold Amaechi and his
faction of the APC responsible for any outbreak of violence during the
elections.
He said: “May I call on the international community, particularly the
United Nations, the European Union, ECOWAS as well as the governments of
the United States of America, United Kingdom and France to hold Rotimi
Amaechi, his cohorts in the factional APC and the compromised security
officers responsible for any electoral and or related violence in Rivers
State during and after the general elections”.
Governor Wike commiserated with the families of those who lost their
loved ones during the last APC Presidential Campaign Rally in Port
Harcourt.
He said: “To lose 15 innocent and lively persons are deeply distressful
not only to the immediate families but also to their communities and the
entire State. These are active and productive people who still have a lot
to offer to the wellbeing of their families and the progress of our State.
“This sad situation calls for sober reflection and penitence, especially
on the part of the APC, which brazen negligence in crowd control and at
the facility was directly responsible for the tragic and irreversible loss
of these innocent souls to the cold hands of death”
He thanked God for the violence free political campaign in the state and
prayed that the same will continue after the elections.
“I wish to remind us once again, that we are one people with a common
destiny. We may belong to different political parties but there is no
other State we can call our home, except Rivers State.