27 top politicians plotting to scuttle Rivers gov poll – Wike

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has alleged that some top politicians in the state are plotting to disrupt Rivers governorship and House of Assembly elections.

He accused them of planning to use armed thugs and cultists in military and police uniforms to scuttle the elections.

The governor listed 27 politicians and called for their immediate arrest and prosecution.

He said the state government had also petitioned Minister of Defence, Chief of Army Staff and other relevant authorities not to release military personnel to former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, or any politician to interfere in the election process holding on Saturday, March 18.

Majority of those the governor wants arrested are supporters of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and some members of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the state.

Wike, who spoke on Thursday night in a statewide broadcast, gave the names of the politicians as Dr. Lenoonu Nwibubasa, Bright Nwinyoodee, Barika Bareh, Friday Sinee, Dumbari Deezua and Neeka Ikina,

Others are Dr. Gabriel Pidomson, Giobari Poiba, Barisi Bonikoo, Hon. Mike Amachree, Paul Lawrence Paul, Anosike Orduwa, Mr. Ogbams Ojimah, Kenneth Chinda, Smile Azundah and Gift Welebe.

The governor said the state government decided on the petition based on credible intelligence indicating the plans by Amaechi and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to overrun and disrupt the Saturday elections in the state with military personnel and civilian thugs as well as cultists dressed in army and police uniforms.

He alleged that Amaechi planned to unleash violence during the Saturday elections.

Wike said, “We have written to notify the Hon. Minister of Defence, the Chief of Army Staff of the Nigerian Army, and the General Officer Commanding the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, and requested that no military personnel is released to Rotimi Amaechi or any other politician to interfere with next Saturday’s elections in Rivers State.

“Furthermore, we have noticed that the Anti-terrorism Unit of the State Police Command continues to provide VIP security services to politicians in defiance of the Inspector-General’s order to withdraw all police personnel attached to VIPs during the elections.

“We, therefore request the inspector-general of police to enforce his order by ensuring that all political leaders are restricted to their polling units and prevented from moving about with police escort.”

The governor urged the security high command to live up to their assurances of providing adequate security throughout the state to forestall any breakdown of law and order during and after the elections.

He said, “We assure everyone that we will do everything within our power to resist and prevent a repeat of what happened in 2019 when the Nigerian Army was used to rig, kill our people and destroy property during the elections across the state.

Wike urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that this Saturday’s elections are free, fair, and credible, by allowing the electorate to decide their leaders.

The governor said with the level of progress his administration had made in the last eight years, it was evident that Rivers State would be more outstanding and closer to fulfilling its purpose if the development tempo was sustained for the next four years.

According to him, his successor should be someone who will consolidate and continue with the new Rivers vision and protect the state’s interests.