•Challenges Wike not to appeal but submit to fresh polls if he is indeed popular
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has dedicated Saturday’s victory over Chief Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to its members killed during the campaign period and the annulled election itself. Over 100 APC members lost their lives to agents of Wike and PDP in their desperation to win the April 11, 2015 governorship election, which was on Saturday afternoon in Abuja annulled by the Justice Mohammed Ambrusa-led Tribunal.
“We wish to formally dedicate the Tribunal judgement to our over 100 members killed by agents of Wike and PDP and wish to reiterate that their death shall never be in vain as we are determined to install, by the grace of God and with the help of the good people of Rivers State, a god-fearing administration that will take Rivers State to the next level,” the State APC said in a statement issued Monday in Port Harcourt and signed by its Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya.
The party said it has noted the sorrowful lamentations by Wike and the PDP leadership both at the State and the National levels since the Tribunal nullified the election, but said that the three-man tribunal could not have done otherwise. “While these lamentations are understandable, we strongly condemn the reckless utterances of Wike and Rivers PDP that tend to impugn the integrity of the Tribunal. Wike’s loss seems to have affected his sense of reasoning; if not, how could he open his mouth and accuse APC of bribing Tribunals to rule against PDP candidates in the South-South?” the party said.
It reminded Wike and PDP that both local and international observers, including the European Community, condemned the Rivers gubernatorial and other elections as a sham and an exercise in impunity, lawlessness and criminality which can only be applauded by mindless and demented persons. “The truth is that the verdict of the Justice Mohammed Ambrusa-led Tribunal was very much in order and consistent with the facts presented before it by APC and other bodies that participated in that election. We, therefore, wish to appeal to the Tribunal to ignore the ranting and insults being thrown at it by the drowning PDP and her misguided actors,” Rivers APC said.
The party declared that Wike is aware that in a free and fair election in Rivers State, the APC gubernatorial candidate, Dr Dakuku Peterside, will beat him so mercilessly that he will lose his deposit. “If Wike and PDP are convinced that they truly won any election in Rivers State, we challenge them not to appeal the Tribunal judgement and let the people of Rivers State decide their in a free and fair election,” the State APC said in the statement.
