From: Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has stated that the fact that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could successfully conduct elections in Sambisa forest, but feigns inability to do the same in Rivers State was an indication of the negative plot against the state.
Wike also described as unfortunate the claim by the leader of the immediate past administration in the state that there was no good road to the hometown of a late APC chieftain, when that administration spent eight years with huge resources accruing to the state, but allegedly embezzled development funds.
Speaking during a state dinner for the delegates of the West African Architects Fair from 13 countries at the weekend, Wike said that the non-conclusion of rerun elections in the state was a fallout of the grand conspiracy to rig the polls in favour of an unpopular party.
He said: “Because people want to illegally seize power in Rivers State, that is why you are hearing all these claims. The whole plot is to take Rivers State. Why do you want to take Rivers State when it is not your own?
“Between March 19 and now, they planned to do elections, so that they can get the number of seats to impeach me and put their own man. Since March, everyday, they postpone the elections, from May to June to July, August and then September. They said October ending, still no election. Now, they have shifted it to December 10 and when we get to December 10, they may shift it to next year.”
The governor said that it was ironic that INEC, which conducted successful elections in the North East and Sambisa forest, claimed that it could not conduct election in Rivers State.
“Election took place in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states where you had deadly insurgency. They were able to conduct elections in those states and votes were counted. They were able to conduct election in Sambisa forest and votes were counted, but they cannot conduct election here in Rivers State,” Governor Wike said.
The governor said that INEC and its coillaborators, through their actions, have denied the state representation in the Senate, the House of Representatives and the State House of Assembly.
He said: “They continue to postpone the elections in Rivers State. The Senate will be discussing the Petroleum Industry Bill, they will be having the constitutional amendment and the state that produces the oil has no senator and cannot be part of the discussion. Nobody will defend Rivers State in the Senate. Nigerians are not worried. Why? Rivers is a minority State.”
The governor maintained that the state was far more peaceful than other major states in the country, hence it has played host to series of international and national conferences.
He said that once elections approach, desperate opposition politicians and their media collaborators induce negative propaganda on insecurity.
In his remarks, the President of the Nigeria Institute of Architects, Architect Tonye Braide, assured Governor Wike that Nigerian architects would support his drive towards developing the state.