FAKE INEC SHEETS: Wike arrested my cousin to rope me in –Peterside

The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr Dakuku Peterside has lambasted Governor Nyesome Wike of Rivers State.

Peterside stated that Wike made an issue over the printer who was alleged to have been involved in the printing of fake INEC election result sheets, with a view to rigging the forthcoming rerun polls in that state, to harass him.

Peterside, who admitted that the suspected printer in the middle of the allegation, Atonyesia Dimieari Peterside, is his cousin, however stated that neither himself nor his cousin is guilty of the accusation.

The NIMASA boss denied having any role in the alleged printing of fake election result sheets for the December 10 rerun election in Rivers State, in a statement.

He denied contacting anybody to print fake result sheets, and insisted that linking him with the allegation was part of a plot to tarnish his image and he never funded or asked anybody to do such.

Peterside also said the printing of fake result sheets was not real, and that his cousin was bundled to Government House, Port Harcourt and repeatedly beaten by thugs.

He said, “Let us assume without conceding that some people were printing fake INEC documents, is it the responsibility of Wike and Obuah to interrogate them in Government House? Why didn’t they call the Commissioner of Police? What are they afraid of, what were they hiding?

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“Why is Wike so desperate to cause chaos and apprehension before the rerun election scheduled for December 10 by framing up leaders of APC in the state? Why is Wike always crying and shouting before every election?

“I have a track record of integrity, civility, law abiding and stickler for rule of law. I have zero tolerance for malfeasance and irresponsible behaviour. All the efforts made to tarnish my reputation will be fruitless because Rivers people and Nigerians know me as a man of honour”, he stated.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, also in a statement by its Secretary, Augusta Ogakwu, denied any involvement in the matter, and called on politicians in Rivers State to stop using language that could heat up the state ahead of the rerun election.

He said, “The commission hereby states that it has no knowledge whatsoever of this reported printing and did not commission the company allegedly involved or anyone in Rivers State to print any electoral materials for it,” the INEC statement said.

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