The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Rivers State is shocked and embarrassed by calls by some compromised pro-APC Elders convened by the desperate Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi for President Muhammadu Buhari to interfere in the Rivers State Governorship Election Collation Process with a view to subverting the will of Rivers people.
We have Information that these Pro-APC Elders have written to the President, demanding that the President should intervene in the Rivers State Governorship Election Collation Process, halt same and create the atmosphere where INEC as presently constituted will not conclude the elections.
IPAC Rivers State views the letter of this Elders to the President as devilish, wicked and an affront to the good people of Rivers State who overwhelmingly voted for the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of the PDP on March 9, 2019. It is unfortunate that these Pro-APC Elders would allow themselves to be used by the desperate Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who is bent on imposing his stooge on Rivers State as Governor.
As elders and stakeholders, we expected these Pro-APC elements to drop their political affiliations and face the reality of the time. We expected them to embrace the choice of Rivers people, rather than dance to the satanic tunes of the Minister of Transportation.
SHAMEFUL FAILED ATTEMPT BY AAC/APC ALLIANCE TO USE THE ARMY TO SUBVERT THE WILL OF RIVERS PEOPLE
These Pro-APC Elders sponsored by the Minister of Transportation cannot claim not to know the negative roles played by the Nigerian Army as they attempted to subvert the will of Rivers people during the Governorship and State Assembly elections.
Elections, as acknowledged by the INEC Fact Finding committee took place in majority of the polling units of Rivers State. Declarations were made in majority of the State Constituencies and the PDP won in all these areas. However, the Army and F-SARs attempted through extreme violence to disrupt the process of Collation.
It was so horrible that the Nigerian Army was caught on video at different Local Government Collation Centres trying to rob results. They were videoed in Ogo/Bolo, Okrika, Port Harcourt, Khana, Eleme and Akuku-Toru Local Government Areas trying to rob collated results.
The most despicable was the invasion of the State Governorship Collation Centre by the Army on March 10, 2010. This was Broadcast on National Television. It was at this point that the exercise was suspended.
CONCLUSION OF THE COLLATION PROCESS
This last minute desperate correspondence by the Pro-APC Elders contracted by the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is simply aimed at subverting the conclusion of the Collation Process. Aside the names that signed the letter, the allegations are similar to those contained in March 19, 2019 Press Release by the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army. The International Community and INEC have since indicted soldiers for their illegal roles in attempting to subvert the will of Rivers people. Therefore, the lies contained in the Elders correspondence should be disregarded because they are politically motivated. They are cooked up to stall the process.
INEC SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO PERFORM THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL ROLE
The President should disregard the calls by these Pro-APC Elders to transfer the INEC officials that conducted the elections in Rivers State. This election is a process that should not be truncated under any guise. This was the same call made by the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi after he lost his polling unit at Ubima. It was the same request made by the sacked leadership of Rivers APC and their AAC allies.
IPAC Rivers State calls on the President not to take any step that will jeopardise the Collation and Declaration of Governorship Election Results in Rivers State. We have confidence in the INEC Officials in Rivers State and they should be allowed to complete the process.
It is embarrassing that the Pro-APC Elders like the Minister of Transportation are threatening violence, even if they have done so subtly.
How on earth would Former Rivers State Governor, Rufus Ada George, Ambassador CD Orike, Alabo Graham-Douglas, Prof DMJ Fubara and Rtd Group Captain Ben-Kalio place partisan and monetary considerations above the interest of Rivers State. At this stage in their lives, they should be courageous enough to reject the negative schemes of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Governorship and State Assembly elections in Rivers State have been concluded as INEC announced in its Press Release. The arm-twisting ploy of these Elders hired by the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi will not work. The will of Rivers people will prevail.
From results in all the polling units as made available to us through our agents during the elections, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has been re-elected. We await the official Collation and Declaration.
The AAC/APC/Army alliance are also aware of this fact, hence the last minute desperation. It is sad that these Elders are indirectly seeking for fresh elections in Rivers State, when winners have already emerged in the constituences and for the Governorship Election.
We read in the media that the Presidency said that it will not interfere with the electioneering process in any of the states where Governorship Elections is yet to be concluded. We urge the President to stick to his words and ignore these Elders who have become paid agents of the desperate Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
Rivers people have voted for their Governor and they have voted for their State Lawmakers. A few misguided old-men acting on behalf of an anti-Rivers Minister cannot subvert the will of Rivers people.
Sir Precious Baridoo,
Chairman,
IPAC Rivers State.
