A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chukwuemeka Eze, has dismissed Governor Nyesom Wike’s claim that he defeated his predecessor Rotimi Amaechi in the Rivers election.
Eze, in a statement on Monday, told Wike that the victory of evil over good is always temporary, does not stand the heat of justice, and will be crushed eventually in accordance with the law.
The politician said Wike has been bragging about the declaration of his candidates as winners of the March 18 governorship and assembly elections, “even when the process fell short of standard”.
Eze alleged that “a team of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ad hoc staff, corrupt officers in the police and other security agencies took bribes in dollars, backed Wike and PDP to work against the people”.
“Governor Wike has never won any election in Rivers State under any conducive electoral environment and cannot therefore claim to have defeated Amaechi and Rivers people.”
Eze revealed it was Amaechi and ex-Governor Peter Odili “that imposed Wike as Chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area against the plea and wishes” of the elders and indigenes.
He said the former Minister of Transportation, “in his poor judgement”, got Wike elected as the Chairman of ObioAkpor and further influenced his election as the Chairman of Local Government Councils Chairmen in Nigeria.
Eze said the 2015 election turned Rivers State “into Rivers of blood with hundreds of Rivers people sacrificing their lives because of the sole ambition of a single man”.
The statement recalled Wike was sacked by the Tribunal, “but with the help of some powerful individuals in society, some men at the Supreme Court overturned and reinstated him as Governor”.
“Wike connived with powers in Lagos and those in Rivers State to deny APC participation in 2019. So how can he in his right senses claim to have defeated anybody in an election the party wasn’t allowed to participate?”
Eze said the APC adopted the African Action Congress, AAC, governorship candidate, Biokpomabo Awara, three days to the election, and while he was leading in “over 17 out of 23 LGAs”, INEC suspended result announcement.
“That order to suspend, rewrite results and announce Wike winner was given by a powerful force in Aso Rock. That was how Wike managed to return in 2019. The election of 2023 was characterised by rigging, bribing of NEC officials, security agencies, intimidation, killing.”
