By; Jacob Onjewu Dickson
The ruling All Progressives Congress APC has described the politically-motivated killings in Rivers State as real emergency that should not be treated with kid gloves.
According to the party, the situation is distressing, tragic and a huge source of worry to the party. “We are already actively collecting evidence of the politically-motivated killings which have taken genocidal dimensions under Nyesom Wike’s watch. The APC will present evidence to national and international law enforcement agencies.
In a statement issued by the party’s National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, which read: “In the leadup to the March 19, 2016 Rivers State rerun elections, the National Secretariat of the All Progresssives Congress (APC) is worried by the fresh reckless and irresponsible statements including death threats issued by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) especially on the person of Mrs. Amina Zakari, a National INEC Commissioner who has a record of supervising some of the most credible, free and fair elections by INEC in the past.
The APC also described Governor Wike’s petition to the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), Africa Union (AU) and the governments of about 50 countries demanding “global surveillance” for the Rivers rerun election as an affront on the 1999 Constitution (as amended), INEC and sovereignty of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“Nyesom Wike has been in the forefront of inciting the people of Rivers State against INEC and the Nigerian Army. On Tuesday, Nyesom Wike accused INEC Commissioner Mrs. Amina Zakari of an unsubstantiated and cooked up plot to swap election result sheets in the yet-to-be-conducted election.
The APC also claimed that the Governor went ahead to issue a death threat on the INEC Commissioner over the unsubstantiated and cooked up plot.
“The APC takes Nyesom Wike’s death threats and campaign of calumny against critical national institutions including the Nigerian Army very seriously.
“Under Nyesom Wike’s watch, the country and indeed the international community has been traumatised by the daily lynching, maiming, killing and beheading of APC members and supporters in Rivers state. The APC believes that Nyesom Wike’s repeated threats to INEC to “write their will” before coming to conduct elections in the state is real and must be looked into by relevant security agencies.
“The APC calls on relevant security agencies to hold Nyesom Wike responsible for any breakdown of law and order before, during and after the March 19, 2016 Rivers State rerun elections. The party also welcomes President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to security services to deal decisively with sponsors and perpetrators of political violence in Rivers State. The Police and other security agencies must ensure that the murderers and their sponsors are brought to book and must face the full wrath of the law.
“The APC hereby calls on security agencies to be on high alert over the dangerous threats and actions by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and by extension the PDP in the lead-up to the Rivers rerun election.
“While we call on INEC and security operatives to be mindful of the dangerous threats by the Rivers State Governor, the APC is confident in INEC and security agencies ability to deliver peaceful, free and credible supplementary election come March 19, 2016. A halt must be put to this madness in Rivers State”.
