From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has wondered why Tonye Cole, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and not his lawyers or agents is the one going to the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) office to collect Certified True Copies (CTC) of electoral materials.
Speaking at the inauguration of Government Secondary School in Kpor Community of Gokana Local Government Area, yesterday, he stated that Cole lost the governorship election undoubtably.
Governor Wike described the show of desperation by Cole by not allowing his lawyers to do their duties, as suggestive of a sinister motive that should not be waved away but queried.
While urging Cole to come out clean so that people would know his intentions, he also dismissed as baseless the allegations raised by him against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that they attacked him and prevented him from accessing INEC office in Port Harcourt.
“Have you seen where a candidate is going to INEC to collect Certified True Copies (CTC)? What are your lawyers doing? What are your agents doing? These are duties of lawyers. What CTC do you want to collect?
“Can’t people see the truth of the matter, you’ve lost the election. Even if they cancel the election 25 thousand times in this State, you cannot win us (PDP) in this state. Let the truth be told.”
Governor Wike said proactive measures were taken to ensure that APC is not allowed the liberty to repeat what they did in 2015, when it manipulated the Nigeria Police to tender results at the tribunal that truncated the will of the people.
The governor reiterated that APC as a political party, was dead in Rivers State, therefore, could not win any election.
He said this was manifested in the last election as Cole could not win any legislative seat for his party.
Governor Wike boasted that everybody knew who was behind the bulk vote that Bola Tinubu got from Rivers State, and he owed nobody any apology for supporting the emergence of a southern presidency
“How can people say that they rigged you? You said you made your presidential candidate to win. Your presidential won, but you don’t get one Senate (seat). What kind of winning is that?”
Governor Wike explained that because of the popularity of PDP in Rivers State, owing to its excellent performance, the party won all three senatorial seats, 11 House of Representatives seats and all 32 State House of Assembly seats.
The governor wondered why the APC governorship candidate would think that Rivers people will give him their mandate when he is already facing prosecution over diversion of $50 million proceeds from sale of State assets to Sahara Energy.
Governor Wike described as laughable the decision of the governorship candidate of Accord party, Dumo Lulu-Briggs and that of the Labour Party, Beatrice Itubo, to approach the election tribunal to contest the election results.
He said these candidates were not opponents in the election but were only desirous to be on the ballot. Governor Wike, who commended his counterpart of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, for supporting equity, fairness and justice, said PDP lost the chance of winning the presidential election due to impunity and arrogance.
Inaugurating the project, Governor Ortom commended governor Wike for sustaining his delivery of quality projects, working in synergy with his cabinet, that is impacting positively on Rivers people.