THE governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2015 election in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, said on Tuesday that the State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, had foreknowledge of the Supreme Court ruling before it was eventually delivered.
Peterside also accused the State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, of promoting violence by making inciting comments.
He also claimed that while the Supreme Court ruling in favour of Wike was delivered at about 6.20pm, the Peoples Democratic Party and Wike supporters went into wild celebration around 9am.
The former APC governorship candidate, who made this remarks while speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt explained that “credible information confirmed” that Wike confessed to some persons that he (Wike) met with some of the justices of the Supreme Court in Mbaise, Owerri, Dubai and Saudi Arabia respectively.
Peterside added that the governor had at a thanksgiving service in Port Harcourt claimed that former governor of the state, Dr. Peter Odili and his wife, Justice Mary Odili, were his (Wike) advisers.
He described the ruling of the Supreme Court on the Rivers governorship election as a product of compromise and an orchestrated contrivance to legalise electoral violence and rigging.
“Credible information confirmed that Nyesom Wike had earlier confessed to some persons of having met one of the Justices of the Supreme Court in Mbaise during an important burial, another at Owerri in a hotel and yet others in Dubai and Saudi Arabia respectively.
“These Justices were in the panel that decided the matter in Wike’s favour. The most striking revelation by Nyesom Wike is contained in his account at the thanksgiving service last Sunday.
“He obviously stunned his audience and the watching world when he confessed that when it came to the Judges, Dr. Peter Odili and the wife Justice Mary Odili (a Justice of the Supreme Court) were his advisers.
“It is therefore obvious that the decision of the Supreme Court on the Rivers State Election was not a product of justice but rather a product of compromise and orchestrated contrivance to legalise electoral violence and rigging and, in turn, reward injustice. This calls for serious introspection by our Judiciary and judicial officers.
“For the records, in his speech at the church service, Gov. Nyesom Wike probably forgot that he was on live telecast when he stated, ‘Let me thank our former governor, Dr. Peter Odili [husband of Supreme Court Justice, Mary Odili]. He will call me midnight to tell me what to do….he will say ‘go so so place.’ I took all his advice, and here we are today’.
“This shocking confession needs no further explanation except for you and other decent Nigerians to further make your fair conclusions,” Peterside said.
On the alleged incitement by WIke, Peterside decried the governor’s threat to the lives of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission ahead of the State and National Assembly rerun elections.
He added that the governor exhibited unconscionable indiscretion by warning INEC officials would be treated like armed robbers if they attempted to rig the election.
Peterside, however, told Wike to stop insulting President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that the governor portrayed himself as someone that was lacking respect and character of being a Councillor, let alone a state governor.
He also advised the governor not to disparage the Nigerian military by referring to them as Boko Haram soldiers.
PUNCH NG
