The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has declared that the report of the Investigative Panel set up by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Idris Ibrahim, on the December 10, 2016 rerun elections, will not distract Governor Nyesom Wike from his good governance agenda.
IGP Ibrahim on Tuesday in Abuja received the report from the committee chaired by Mr Damian Okoro. He disclosed that the police recovered over N111 million from 23 electoral officers as bribe from Governor Wike.
In a reaction to the development on Wednesday, the PDP said that Wike will remain focus on fulfilling his campaign promises to the people.
In an interaction with newsmen in Port Harcourt yesterday, the PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr Samuel Nwanosike, advised the panel to present pictorial evidence that a chieftain of the party gave the bribe to the 23 staff members of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the election.
He described the money evidence as a primary school drama, saying that the panel should name the individual in Rivers State Government involved in the bribing of the said INEC officials and make public the names of the recipients.
Nwanosike said: “The point we want to make is that nobody can distract Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, the “Mr Project” of Rivers State. Nobody can distract the governor from fulfilling his campaign promises to the people of the state.
“If they have any fact they should go to court than all these. Nigerians are tired of their antics. That report should never be regarded as existing.”
“PDP has no hand in the said bribe. We do not have anything to do with the panel under Okoro. Their report will not be binding on us. We are not interested in their panel. The panel is only cooking up stories to intimidate the Rivers peoples.”
“The governor is not under any pressure. As am talking to you now, the governor is busy commissioning, awarding and supervising projects that will better the lives of Rivers people. We want to know the individual in the Rivers State Government that gave the bribe to the electoral officers.
We want the evidence of where the money was given. We also need the pictures of who are involved as a proof and the bank where the money was paid.
“Okoro should tell Nigerians categorically how much he recovered from each of the persons involved. If actually, they recovered anything, the money must be marked. It is a shame that Okoro and his panel could not do a thorough job, at least to please their paymasters.”
Nwanosike stated that the report was calculated to be used as evidence against the PDP lawmakers at the electoral tribunal sitting in Abuja, stressing that no member of the PDP bribed any INEC official.
He declared that the police report of the investigation on the rerun election would not be relevant to any sector of the country, adding that its findings are predetermined and biased in favour of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Nwanosike said: “The report yesterday means nothing before the eyes of the Nigerian people. It can never be considered in any sector of Nigeria. How would they say they recovered money from electoral officers and you finger the PDP on it when the Resident Electoral Commissioner had said nobody will know them until the day of the election?
“We are only hearing now that money has been recovered from electoral officers that were trained outside and brought in silently like angels. How can you bribe a man you don’t know?” He queried.
Source :the authorityngr
