Rivers
State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed probe of an allegedly
compromising audio clip that circulated after the legislative rerun
election.
Gov. Wike
While speaking in a chat with newsmen in Port Harcourt, the Rivers
State capital on Wednesday, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has
dismissed probe of an audio clip that circulated after the legislative
re-run election in the state.
We had reported some days ago
that Governor Wike was caught on tape as he held a telephone with
officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),
arranging payment to the officials in exchange for their help in rigging
the recently concluded legislative elections in the state.
It was reported later that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP)
Ibrahim Idris has set up a panel to probe the audio as well as some
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, officials.
In his reaction, Wike accused security agencies of working for the All Progressives Congress (APC)
Wike said: “Tell INEC, tell the Nigerian police, tell the Nigerian security that I want free and fair elections.
“What causes violence? I was here and they wanted to stop the
results of my senatorial district from being declared. If in the course
of resisting rigging, they shoot somebody, will there not be violence?
“Why will you carry materials and give to the other party to
the detriment of the other party? We said, allow everybody to vote. Now,
you use security agencies to hijack the materials, to beat up our
agents.
“Why can’t they tell you the simple truth? If they conduct free
and fair elections in this State today, who will win? Who is going to
lose if there’s violence?
“We want elections. Let’s see who is more popular. You (APC)
don’t want election. You want to bring collation officers that will do
your own bidding.
“You want to bring INEC officers to do your own bidding. We
have no problem, bring whoever you want to bring, but let there be
elections. When you win, you won’t blame the person that collated. What
kind of system is this?
“The only condition for peace in Rivers is free and fair elections like it’s done all over the world”.
On probe of the audio clip, Governor Wike replied: “You look at
me and I’ll talk to INEC adhoc staff? And they said I asked where the
man is from…the person I gave money and I don’t know where he comes
from?
“Okay, it resembles my voice? I can plant your voice now. Even
as I am now, you can take my voice and plant somewhere. Let them bring
their own video evidence. We have shown ours where you can see what
policemen were doing during the election. I hear they said it was
through somebody’s phone that I spoke.
“The only person I can even talk to as far as INEC is concerned
is the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) or the national chairman
or commissioner of INEC.
“Why will I even descend (so low ) to talk to an adhoc staff?
We have over 2,000 INEC adhoc staff. Which one did I talk to? Which one
did I not talk to? So, please discard some of these stories.
“Investigate who? Embark on an inquiry on who? We have video
evidence of police helping to rig the election for them (APC), but they
are denying that they are not policemen.
“Police is denying something everyone saw the SARS (Special
Anti-Robbery Squad) man that came. You are saying they are not
policemen”.
Wike, who insisted that the election was rigged for the APC, added “Let them show us the server where they offload the result. Let them show us.
“Let me tell you why nobody can come after me. Nobody can take
my life. Only God can. He gives, he takes. You who is planning to take,
who told you you’ll be there tomorrow?
“They took my orderly, they took my Chief Security Officer,
they took my escort commander. You don’t know God’s plans. People should
take it easy. Anything can happen tomorrow. You never can tell”