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Rivers Re-Run: Gov. Wike Accuses Army, Other Security Agents Of Killing, Rigging For APC

December 11, 2016

Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers State has accused the Nigerian Army and agents of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a wing of the Nigerian police, of acting illegally in order to shore up candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in re-run legislative elections that took place earlier today. In a statement released by Simeon Nwakaudu, a special assistant on new media, the governor alleged that soldiers and police officers killed polling agents working for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), hijacked electoral material, and carried out rigging for a particular candidate in the state’s southeast senatorial district.

Even so, Mr. Wike stated that, despite the use of the army and police by the APC, the people of Rivers State would never be conquered.

Reacting to reports of shootings by the Nigerian Army and the police in Khana, Gokana, Akuku-Toru and Etche local government areas, Governor Wike alleged that security agencies were deployed to the state to manipulate the results of the polls. He added that some APC governors and leaders had threatened to use Federal might against the Rivers people, adding that the military had been used to rig re-run elections in parts of the state.

According to the governor, soldiers and police officers had hijacked election materials in Khana local government area. He added that, in Gokana local government area, soldiers hijacked election materials for Wards 2 and 3 in Bodo City where the military also killed two persons in the process of fleeing with the materials.

Mr. Wike said that soldiers and SARS agents hijacked election materials in four out of the 19 wards of Etche local government area. He stated that one Charles Anyanwu, an APC leader in Etche local government area, had been arrested with two AK-47 guns. He remarked that the security agencies were likely to release Mr. Anyanwu.

According to Mr. Wike, the combined onslaught by the military and SARS personnel started on Friday night, when former Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, who is the current Minister of Transportation, attempted to lead a battalion of soldiers and more than 20 SARS agents to hijack electoral materials from the headquarters of the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC) in Isiokpo, Ikwerre local government area.

Governor Wike alleged that soldiers seized election material in Opobo-Nkoro local government area, adding that the materials were transported to the home of Sam Jaja, an APC politician.

Mr. Wike said he anticipated the use of the military and other agencies to rig today’s elections, adding that he tried to alert the world about the ruling party’s plans.

“In all my political career, I have never experienced this kind of invasion by security agencies. What causes violence is when you give certain persons undue advantage,” said the governor. He added, “Be assured that we are resisting it. It may take our lives, but we will resist to the last. That is what is expected, when you are fighting for freedom. You must make sacrifices.

“It is unfortunate that we are congratulating the opposition for winning in Ghana, but here the military are directly involved in rigging and hijacking materials,” said the governor. He added: “They say that they want to give [the] Rivers State governor problems, but you are not giving Rivers State Governor problems, you are giving Nigeria problems.”

Mr. Wike disclosed that he had informed one of INEC’s national commissioners and the Resident Electoral Commissioner about the problems in Khana Local Government Area and Gokana local government areas, stating that he was assured that INEC would take action.

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Nyesom Wike

 

 

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Politics