PROBE OF RIVERS RERUN: PDP says IGP has his priorities wrong

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as embarrassing, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris’ decision to investigate alleged threatening phone call by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State during the state rerun elections.

PDP is arguing that the police should rather be more concerned with investigating the electoral offenses allegedly masterminded by its men, the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials and the Army which resulted in the death of many.

The Senator Ahmed Makarfi faction of the party stated this on Tuesday in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye.

The statement read in part, “It is sarcastic for the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to constitute a panel of investigation for the purported ‘threatening phone call’ by the Governor of Rivers State, H. E. Chief Nyesom Wike instead of seeking solution to all the video evidence of the killings and hijacking of electoral materials by the Police and other security agencies with some INEC officials during the Re-run Elections.

“For instance, in Gokana Local Government Area, men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) were seen in a video shooting sporadically to disperse voters and later made away with ballot boxes. The same incident occurred in almost all the Polling Units in Rivers South East Senatorial District where Senator Magnus Abe was magically declared winner. Given the state of war in this entire District between security agencies and Rivers people, we still want to know who voted to make up the Results declared for the APC.

“We wish to also remind Nigerians of the video of two staffers of the INEC caught in the act at the home of an APC Chieftain in Opobo Town, Sam Sam Jaja. These men were taken to the House of Mr. Jaja by officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and were apprehended while thumb-printing and writing of results in favour of Jaja’s Party, the APC. Equally, there is a popular video running in various television stations showing the Officer-in- charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Mr. Akin Fakorede in Rivers State who led his team to INEC Collation Center in Port Harcourt to hijack election materials.

“These and many more glaring evidences abound of the collaboration between security agencies, the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi and the INEC who were seen distorting and disrupting electoral processes in other to win at all cost but for the zeal and determination of the people of Rivers State who stood and defended their votes vehemently in most areas.

Read also: Count Rivers govt, people out of your so-called panel, Wike tells Police

“We therefore urge the IGP to stop embarrassing Nigeria further and immediately bring to book all those seen in these videos committing electoral offenses. It’s suspicious and dangerous for the IGP to overlook these breaches of the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act by his men. Nigerians are waiting eagerly for the actions or inactions of the Police in this regard.

“However, Governor Wike has exonerated himself of the fabricated threatening phone call and the PDP also believes that the sudden appearance of the so-called video is only diversionary from the damning allegations of electoral malpractices by the Police, the Nigerian Army, the NSCDC and the INEC in the just concluded Rivers re-run elections.

“Assuming without conceding that the videoed phony phone call should be investigated, the negative actions of the IGP and his men have already created a heavy moral burden on them, and consequently, the Police is not in any position to set up a panel of inquiry against Governor Wike. We will resist any selective investigation by the Police or any other agency for that matter on the issue of Rivers re-run elections because such an attempt is aiming at covering the truth.”

RipplesNigeria ….without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now