Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has warned officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, who colludes with politicians in the state to rig the March 19 re-run elections that they would be treated as “political armed robbers”.
The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja had last year sacked all the State and National Assembly members, but one, and ordered a re-run within 90 days.
Speaking on Saturday at an interdenominational ‘Thanksgiving and Victory Celebration’ organized by the Rivers chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, following the historic Supreme Court verdict that validated his election, Wike said he stood for a free and fair re-run elections in Rivers State.
The governor also used the opportunity to re-echo his condemnation of the recent invasion of Ogoni land and the killing of indigenes by suspected soldiers, saying that desperation for power led to the killing in Yeghe community, Gokana Local Government Area of the state.
He said his administration would stand firm to protect the Ogoni people, just as he warned that anyone familiar with history will not want to push the Ogoni ethnic nationality to a fight.
Gov. Wike, who also denied the claim by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers East senatorial district, Senator Magnus Abe that his remarks at a recent event triggered the violence in Ogoni land, repeated that he only warned ‘political armed robbers’ not to test the will of Rivers people.
The governor said he expected Mr. Abe and his political party to support him against political armed robbers but was taken aback when his comment was misinterpreted as a warning that the forthcoming re-run elections would not be violence-free.
“Let me reiterate, if any INEC officer is bent on rigging the re-run elections, let him first tell his wife and children where his will is located because he will be treat¬ed as a political armed robber.
“Popularity is tested on the ground. It is not by carrying soldiers around to intimidate voters. As your governor, I don’t carry soldiers around. How can a politician be campaigning with soldiers?” He queried.
According to Wike, no matter the number of soldiers introduced in Rivers State, the people will protect their votes and the PDP will emerge victorious in all the rerun elections.
“I will continue to threaten political armed robbers. I will stand firm against those who use guns to steal votes”.
Governor Wike, who led the congregation to observe a minute silence in memory of those killed when soldiers invaded Yeghe community in search of a former militant leader, Solomon Ndigbara aka Osama Bin Laden, on Monday and Tuesday, announced that the Rivers State Government would cater for the needs of the widows, their children and all the loved ones of those who lost their lives.
The thanksgiving service was attended by Chairman of the Rivers PDP, Felix Obuah; Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State; National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff; House Minority Leader, Rep Leo Ogor, among others.