By: Amaechi Okonkwo – Port Harcourt.
The spokesman of the Rivers state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Darlington Nwauju has declared that the party has not conceded defeat to anyone in the March 18 governorship and the house of assembly elections in the state.
He made the declaration while speaking to journalists in response to the media parley by the state governor, Nyesom Wike who was gloating over the victory of the PDP in the election.
Nwauju who spoke on behalf of the state chairman of the APC, Chief Emeka Beke described the victory of the PDP at the polls as pyrrhic saying “APC has not conceded defeat, we are only trying to respond to some issues raised by the Governor in his media parley.
“We have not conceded defeat, Cole has already given his word that he would be going to the tribunal”, he stressed.
According to the party; “Last Saturday’s election in Rivers State was between APC and INEC, the police and Gov Wike’s PDP. There was no election in the real sense of it. INEC and the Police brazenly worked together to install Gov Wike’s PDP candidates as winners of the election.
“As a party, we have repeatedly raised the alarm about how Gov Wike, was using State resources that belong to Rivers people, to compromise key institutions like INEC and the Police. What happened on Saturday was a systemic institutionalized rigging of the elections by Gov Wike with the supposed umpire, INEC and the police actively doing the bidding of Gov Wike.
“Gov Wike’s weak and feeble attempt to distance himself from the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu failed woefully. No amount of spin can change the facts Nigerians know, which is that; there exist an unholy alliance between Gov Wike and the INEC chairman.
“Gov Wike is gloating that his PDP won elections in Rivers State. But everyone knows that PDP did not win the elections in Rivers State. PDP stole the elections with the active connivance and participation of INEC and the police. They were brazenly and shamelessly allocated votes.
Then, a part of his interview had him shockingly downplay the death of the Campaign Coordinator of the APC Gubernatorial campaign at Ahoada West and others who were brutally murdered on election day for choosing to exercise their franchise and defending their votes against the marauding PDP rigging machinery which was unleashed across the state in order to foist his lackey who has not been able to explain to Rivers people how #117billion naira of taxpayer’s money was withdrawn in cash across the counter.
“We are pained but not surprised at the dismissive response offered by the outgoing Governor, in a mindless attempt to explain away the killing of a PhD scholar who incidentally and quite significantly, should have been defending his Doctoral Thesis today, Thursday 23rd March 2023, had his life not been mowed down by bullets of thugs organized by the PDP to forcefully impose themselves on the people of the state against their will. The events of 2023 bear resemblance with the yet-to-be-investigated killings of APC members in 2015 and during the 2016 re-run elections in Rivers State.
The party went on to list some of its members who lost their lives during the election in parts of the state including; Godspower Ajahu, Ward 10, Unit 01; Chiosom Lennard Tabele, Ward 10 Unit 02 – the Ahoada West; LGA Cordinator Okpara Chienyere – Unit 01 Ward 10 and Goodnews Michael Okpara – Anakpo community Ward 8 Unit 5 Two persons were said to be still missing.
The APC went on to say; “May we remind Nigerians that the event of March 18th and 19th 2023, which witnessed the suppression of votes, bypass of BVAS, intimidation of voters, outright violence and brutal killings in Rivers State which clearly violates Section 125 and 128 of the 2022 Electoral Act (as amended), can never be forgotten or swept under the carpet by a million broadcasts.
“To further confirm our party’s claim of state-sponsored violence and intimidation of opponents, let us draw the attention of the outgoing Governor of Rivers State and the public to paragraph two of the statement issued yesterday (22nd March 2023) by the United Kingdom on the Gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in Nigeria, thus:
“However, there were notable points of concern. Members of our observation mission personally observed violence, and voter suppression in numerous voting locations. We witnessed and received credible reports from other observer missions and civil society organisations of vote buying and voter intimidation, the destruction and hijacking of election materials and the general disruption of the process in numerous states including Lagos, Enugu and Rivers”.
“Therefore the failed media stunt by the outgoing Governor, which was to justify the bloody rigging that took place in the state, falls flat in the face of rock solid evidence corroborated by international observers.
“No wonder the streets of Port Harcourt went silent immediately the unfortunate announcement of the PDP candidate was made unlike what happened in Abia state where jubilation broke out as soon as the people’s choice emerged. Little wonder the shunning of a victory party organised for youths at the Elechi Amadi Polytechnic and the few who came refused to dance or rejoice even when organisers begged to justify their pay.
“The APC in Rivers State wish to state that the two elections held on the 25th February and 18th March 2023, signposts our beloved Rivers state as the poster boy of electoral evil for which even foreign governments have warned about a likely slide to God knows where!
“We restate that what has happened in the state in the last two elections amounts to pyrrhic victories obtained through Order 23, which is an unwritten marching order to local government council Chairmen to return Gov Wike’s anointed candidate or get sacked.
“Is it not sobering that the outgoing Governor of Rivers State is the only one gloating over the outcome of these bloody elections when everyone else is moody?. Other election robbers are hiding their faces. Does Gov Wike not know that this is one election where the winners are full of shame while those that didn’t win are being celebrated everywhere? Why not follow other election robbers to hide faces and allow Nigerians to heal?
“The APC in Rivers State wish all those who believe there was anything credible about the last gubernatorial and house of assembly elections well in their celebrations, after all, bandits, robbers and terrorists also celebrate after a heist”.
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