Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has petitioned the governments of 50 countries, including those of the United States, Australia and China ahead of the March 19 legislative rerun elections, demanding global surveillance on the process to ensure the conduct of a free, fair and credible election.
The petition, which was signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Austin Tam-George, and sent to the embassies of the 50 countries, accused leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, notably, the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, and Dakuku Peterside of resorting to intimidating tactics and openly inciting violence against members of the People Democratic Party (PDP) and anyone who holds a different political perspective in the state.
The state government wrote the petition just as Governor Wike alleged a plot by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Amina Zakari, to swap authentic results from polling units with fake results on the day of the election.
The petition signed by Tam-George read in part: “I write on behalf of the Government and people of Rivers State, Nigeria to inform you respectfully of the imminent danger posed to the peace and stability of Rivers State, by the actions and provocative utterances of the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“In a series of media interviews that began with an appearance on “Focus Nigeria” a live programme on African Independent Television (AIT) in Abuja, and with radio stations in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister for Transportation in Nigeria continues to use language that is both inciting and dangerously divisive ”.
It added that Amaechi had also publicity threatened to “flood” every polling unit in Rivers State with soldiers in a bid to rig the election in favour of the APC, and described the threat by Rotimi Amaechi to militarize the re-run polls as “alarmingly dangerous and illegal”, noting that the military had no constitutional role in the country’s electoral process.
The petition also alerted that “homes of key leaders of People Democratic Party are being routinely raided and vandalized by Amaechi’s goons, and plans have already been perfected to arrest all leaders of the PDP in Rivers State 48 hours to the election”.
The Rivers State Government expressed disappointment over the fact that repeated appeals to the President to call Mr. Amaechi to order had gone unheeded, and warned that the eruption of violence in a state like Rivers, with “multi ethnic fault lines could cripple Nigeria’s ailing economy, and reverberate across the country borders”.
The petition further called on the international community to; “urgently initiate and maintain pressure on the Federal Government of Nigeria to allow free, fair and violence free elections in Rivers State”.
The petition was also sent to the governments of the the European Union, the Chairman of the African Union, among others.
Meanwhile, Governor Wike has declared that any attempt by Amaechi to move around polling booths on election day will be vehemently resisted by the people who will publicly disgrace him for violating the electoral guidelines.
Speaking during the grand finale of the Rivers East Senatorial District Campaign Rally of the Peoples Democratic Party at Elele in Ikwerre Local Government Area, Wike said: “All those who plan to swap result sheets, may their souls rest in peace.
“Nobody will rig in Rivers State.
“Anybody who thinks Amaechi will give them result sheets to swap should be ready to swap their dead bodies.
“I have told the REC: You were here before, you can’t play games with me.”
The governor said it is his responsibility to take steps to stop politicians plotting to rig elections in the state with the connivance of Zakari.
He informed that the University of Port Harcourt Vice Chancellor was compelled by Amaechi and leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) drew up a list of INEC Adhoc staff dominated by former APC caretaker committee chairmen and confirmed APC members to organise the rerun elections scheduled for March 19.
He announced the names of the APC leaders on the list of INEC Adhoc staff.
Wike said he had written a formal letter with proofs and details to INEC Chairman.
The governor said President Muhammadu Buhari should not allow Amaechi to cause crisis in the state because of his personal interest.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, stated that Rivers State is a PDP state where the people are satisfied with the performance of the Governor.
No comments:
Post a Comment