Following the decision of the Court of Appeal affirming the judgment of the Rivers Governorship Election Tribunal that Governor Nyesom Wike, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in this year’s election, was not validly elected, tension is building up in the state over plans to win the now more likely re-run governorship poll between the ruling PDP and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
Recent checks by The Nation revealed that chieftains of both parties are making moves to ensure that their candidate emerges victorious should the Supreme Court, which is the last appellate Court in the matter, uphold the governor’s removal. The Rivers Tribunal had earlier, on October 24, nullified Wike’s election. The tribunal, which delivered its ruling in Abuja, also ordered that a fresh governorship election be conducted in the state.
After the tribunal’s ruling, the governor headed to the Court of Appeal, saying the judgment was untenable. But the Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment of the Rivers Governorship Election Tribunal, insisting on the re-run election. Dissatisfied, Wike and the PDP have approached the Supreme Court, urging it to set aside the ruling.
The possibilities
The Rivers governorship election, which was criticised by local and international observers, witnessed the largest amount of violence both in its build-up and after the elections, following it’s nullification by two competent courts, has left the ruling PDP literarily clinging unto straw according to many analysts. The embattled party is hoping the Supreme Court will rule in its favour.
But the state chapter of the APC says Wike “is wasting his time approaching the Supreme Court in his desperate bid to cling to a non-existing mandate as Rivers State governor.”
Rivers APC said in a statement signed by the Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, and issued in Port Harcourt: “Chief Wike knows deep down in him that he did not win any election on April 11, 2015. He is only seeking to buy time by hopping from one court to the other in a doomed bid to avoid the inevitable, which is that his days as care-taker governor of Rivers State are drawing to an end.
As a lawyer, we expect Wike to know that the Supreme Court cannot save him because he has no case. Common sense dictates that he should concentrate his energies on preparing for the fresh election ordered by the tribunal but, as the saying goes, common sense is not really common.”
The party reminded Wike that the Supreme Court had earlier ruled on appeal that he brought before it on the Rivers State election that indeed, “there was widespread violence during the election.” It advised Wike to stop wasting his time and prepare for a re-run election that will enable the Rivers State to reclaim their state from his maladministration of the state.
But the Rivers State Government has dismissed the testimonies of some witnesses that testified in the case, insisting that the judgement cannot stand. The state government, in a statement signed by Opunabo Inko-Tariah, took a swipe at the military personnel that discredited the elections in the state.
The state government also downplayed the testimony of the senior INEC official, Charles Okoye, who also claimed the elections were marred by violence and intimidation. Inko-Tariah said all the testimonies so far were in contradiction to the facts before the Justice Ambrosa-led Tribunal.
He accused the army of playing the script of the petitioner, the All Progressives Congress, adding that the military men “merely lied on oath”.
“Although this should not ordinarily be an issue for media debate, being a matter before a tribunal, it is important to straighten the records for public information to the effect that all the bogus claims by the busybody INEC staff represented were not only entirely scripted but dead on arrival,” he said.
As it stands, it is either the Supreme Court supports the Appeal Court which ordered fresh election within 90 days, or uphold the election of Wike as governor. But many observers of the politics of the state say given the widespread irregularities and violence that characterised the last guber election, Wike’s chance to remain in office is a very slim one.
Fresh battle plans
Ahead of both the Supreme Court ruling and the likely re-run election, several meetings are being held in the state and beyond. Recently, Wike was at the national secretariat of the PDP in Abuja to discuss the Appeal Court ruling and its consequences with the leadership of his party.
Sources at the party told The Nation that the governor harped on the need for all hands to be on deck to ensure his victory should the re-run become inevitable.
“The governor kept reminding the leadership of the PDP of the need to rally all forces within and outside the state ahead of the re-run election. As part of efforts to ensure victory at the poll, both the governor and the party agreed on the need to reconcile some aggrieved chieftains with the party in the state.
Personally, the governor expressed willingness to reach out to everybody. He urged the party to immediately commence the reconciliation effort which has been left unattended to for so long. The party on its part, has assured the governor and the Rivers PDP of its readiness to fully support the party in the state should the need arise,” our source said.
Last Saturday, youth groups supporting the governor gathered in Port-Harcourt to plan ahead of the possible rerun election. At the parley, attended by many prominent Chieftains of the party in the state, the youths said they will embark on sensitisation rallies to prepare the people of the state in case the rerun election holds.
Spokesperson of the groups, Comrade Samuel Sukubo, told The Nation that there is need for the PDP to set out early in its quest to retain the state should the Supreme Court order a rerun. According to him, “there are so many forces plotting to steal Rivers State from us but I can assure you that we know what to do and we are already doing it.”
The PDP in a statement issued on Monday, December 21, by its media adviser, Jerry Needam, also accused the APC of illegally retrieving Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) from residents in readiness for the incoming re-run gubernatorial election in the state. The state chairman, Felix Obuah, said the party had already alerted relevant security agencies on the alleged move of the APC in order to curb it.
Obuah went further to explain that the APC under the guise of conducting the party’s membership registration in the state had been dispossessing members of the public their PVCs. He urged the state’s security agencies to arrest those involved in the illegal act.
“Mindful of the criminal implication of the act, and the danger it poses to the nation’s democratic electoral process, the Rivers State chapter of the PDP has called on the police and other security agencies to urgently be on the heels of leaders and members of the APC in the state, who have under the guise of conducting the party’s membership registration in the state unlawfully dispossess members of the public of their PVCs,” he said.
According to him, the party is apprehensive because of its criminal inclination and as it infringes on the fundamental rights of the legitimate owners of the PVCs, adding that the victims have been deprived of their right to choose their leader as well as their personal identities been impersonated, undermined, endangered and abused.
Obuah insisted that he did not only get the reports but went ahead to confirm that APC leaders and members under the pretext of revalidating their membership base, bought PVC’s at the cost of N5,000 in some areas while in some cases forcefully obtained it through intimidation and threat.
The chairman listed the areas seriously affected by this alleged illegal act to include Ogoni Local Government Area, ONELGA, Port-Harcourt, Obio-Akpor, Etche, Kalabari, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Oyigbo, among others.
“We are also made to believe that the act of buying PVCs with such amount is an exposition of the APC taking undue advantage of the poverty and the hard economic situation that have ravaged the nation following the insensitivity and apparently lack of vision and focus by the APC administration under President Muhammadu Buhari,” he said.
Responding to PDP’s accusations, the state publicity secretary of APC, Mr. Chris Finebone, described it as another falsehood from a drowning party. He insisted that the party is carrying out registration and revalidation of its members. According to him, the exercise became imperative following the decision of some former PDP members to defect to the APC.
“I think they (PDP) have no answer to the fact that we are doing revalidation. The PDP in the state is lost about how we are doing the registration of our new members.
“We are doing this exercise based on request. There are a lot of PDP members that are no longer happy with the PDP and they are saying that they want to join us. So, we are using the opportunity to register them and revalidate the members of our members.
“It has nothing to do with the falsehood from the PDP that we are buying PVCs. The PDP is in power and they control the finance, why did they not buy PVCs from the people since they now think it is easy to purchase PVC from anybody,” he said.
Announcing its readiness to dislodge Wike, should the rerun hold, the APC recently said that it’s gubernatorial candidate, Dakuku Peterside, will win the governorship election re-run in Rivers State. The APC revealed the camp of their leader and motivator in Rivers, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, was thrown into jubilation following the Appeal Court ruling.
“On the other hand, the governor of the state, Wike, must be wondering now how to wriggle out of this misfortune. From all indications, a rerun is imminent, whether Wike appeals or not. The question now is who will carry the day?
“Most people, especially members of the PDP are upbeat that Wike will carry the day but there are undeniable facts that expose that optimism to be farfetched,” the APC said adding that its candidate in the election, Dakuku Peterside, would not only win, but would have a landslide victory.
“One, there is no way Wike and his cohorts will expect any kind of support or even sympathy from the Police or military or even INEC as all these institutions are going to be neutral now and will quickly deal with any deception from Wike and or PDP. Also, many who do not know Amaechi personally make the mistake of overlooking his doggedness but it is on record that Amaechi has never lost any political battle.
In Rivers State, there is a gentlemanly agreement between these two political blocks. Unfortunately for Wike , he is coming to replace another man from the Upland, Amaechi. Fortunately for APC, Peterside is from the Riverine area and by this agreement, Peterside has the upper hand.
Some people will argue that this is not a strong point as it did not improve Peterside’s chances before, but they forget that PDP was still in power then and Wike’s thugs were deployed with federal might to diminish this important issue. Now that Wike cannot count on the federal support, APC will play this sentiment up to their advantage.
Most importantly, most Rivers people, especially those in the riverine areas, totally adore Dakuku. Wike was totally aware of this fact and that was why he had to deploy thugs and security agents to compromise the elections. With this current scenario, there is no way Wike will remain governor,” the APC said.
Culled from The Nation
