Minister of Transportation
and former governor of Rivers State,
Chibuike Amaechi, has described tomorrow’s rerun national and state legislative
polls as ‘election of our
lives’.
Amaechi, who is the
leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, declared this
yesterday, in his speech at the party’s rally held at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium
in Port Harcourt.
He urged APC’s
supporters to protect their lives and votes.
“This is what is
called election of our lives. You know I have never spoken like this before. I
don’t want to hear that they took over the ballot sheet from you. If they
snatch it, collect it back from them. My phone will be switched off. Nobody
should call me. The only time you will call me is from 6pm, when you have won
the election,” Amaechi stated.
Also, the APC
National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said the Federal Government has
unleashed its might on the state for the rescheduled election.
He encouraged
members of his party to retaliate whatever treatment received from loyalists of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the election.
“If they slap you,
slap them back. The whole federal might is here; the whole federal executive is
here. The entire federal might has heard your cry. There is only one thing; we
respect Rivers people. Enough is enough. If they push you, push them. We are on
a rescue mission. This state will be rescued,” he said.
Regardless, security
has been beefed up at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
office, in Port Harcourt, ahead of the elections.
At about 5:50 pm
when Daily Sun left INEC office, there was tight security in and outside the
premises, even as part of the Aba Road had been condoned off by security
operatives.
It was gathered that
the commission had commenced distribution of sensitive materials to various
local government areas after receiving the materials yesterday from the Central
Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
This was as the IGP,
Idris, said over 28,000 police personnel
have been deployed to ensure a peaceful conduct of the election.
Addressing security
agencies in the state, Idris called for collaboration from all sister agencies
to ensure that the police succeeded in the election.
He warned police
officers not to move out of their areas of operations.
“No politician will
go to the polling unit with any police officer. Nobody should be allowed to
carry money in his car, nobody should be allowed to move with arms,” he said.
He urged Rivers
people, stakeholders and security agencies to ensure the election was
concluded.
The Commissioner of
Police, Francis Mobolaji Odesanya, said
the police were doing all within their power to ensure a success.
On his part, Brigade
Commander 2 Brigade, Brigadier General Hamisu Hassan, who spoke on behalf of other agencies,
assured of their preparedness towards a successful election.
Meanwhile, Governor
Nyesom Wike has condemned Kano State Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Ganduje’s
comment, for allegedly inciting violence in the state, during his speech at the
APC campaign rally in Port Harcourt.
Wike, who spoke
through his Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Austin
Tam-George, quoted Ganduje as telling APC supporters: ‘If they shoot you, take cover and shoot them’.
Wike described the
alleged statement as “a shameful and egregious invitation to violence by the
Kano State governor.”
He called on the IGP
to order Ganduje out of Rivers to forestall the breakdown of law and order in
the state, even as he accused Amaechi of importing political thugs, disguised
as APC supporters, to cause mayhem.
The governor urged
the people of state to resist any act of electoral fraud by the police, INEC
and APC before, during and after the elections on Saturday.
Withdrawal of my CSO
embarrassing, Wike tells IGP
From Chris Anucha,
Port Harcourt
Rivers State
Governor, Nyesom Wike, yesterday told the Inspector General of Police (IGP),
Ibrahim Idris, that the withdrawal of his chief security officer (CSO) was an
embarrassment.
He also told Idris
how the withdrawal had exposed him to danger.
The governor who
spoke when the police boss paid him a
visit at the Government House, yesterday, restated his call for the transfer of
the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of operations, Steven
Hasso and the Commander of the Special
Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Akin Fakorede.
He accused the
officers of partisanship, as well as deliberately compromising the security of
the state.
Governor Wike
expressed regret that the IGP took sides
with Hasso, who he alleged attempted to
invade the Government House with some All Progressives Congress (APC)
supporters.
He said he was
shocked by what he called inaccurate statement released by the office of the
IGP that the CSO was withdrawn over misconduct.
He said contrary to
the claim, the CSO only prevented Hasso and the crowd hired by APC from invading the Government House,
Port Harcourt.
“The moment you
touch my CSO, you are telling me that you are ready for me. As I sit here, I am
empty, I have no protection. When people start to embarrass the governor, take
his CSO, without information, it is completely wrong. What you have done is the
highest disrespect to the office of the governor.
“I am pleading with
you, my life is important. I will not take any CSO you bring to me, that I
don’t know. This is a matter of security and protection. It is not what you do
with levity,” Wike said.
He said the people
of the state would support an unbiased Police, but would resist any attempt to
use security agencies to commit electoral fraud.
Earlier in his
speech, the IGP who said he was in the state to ensure peaceful elections,
urged the people to support the security agencies to ensure peaceful, free and
fair polls.
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