Rerun protest: Rivers APC Submits audio tape ‘incriminating’ Wike to IGP through state Police Command
*Calls for investigation into killings of policemen, others
The Rivers state Chapter of the All progressives Congress, APC, yesterday staged a protest march to the state police command and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, demanding a thorough investigation into killings of security men and others in the state during the December 10, rescheduled legislative rerun election.
The party submitted an audio tape which it claimed showed how Governor Nyesom Wike, bribed and threatened to Kill any electoral official who failed to do his biddings in the election.
The protesters, led by Honourable Asita O. Asita, and which included the Chairman of the party in the state, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, also demanded for an unbiased investigation into the conduct of the election, particularly the role of the electoral empire in the state.
Submitting the protest letter and the audio tape, Honourable Asita said that never in the history of Rivers state and Nigeria had a worse case of violence and intimidation been recorded during and after the 2015 general elections.
He said: “We have complained several times to the police, army, SSS, and the presidency about the violence. Now the violence is not only against our party, it is now against security agents. Recall that just last Saturday, DSP Mohammed Alkali was killed and beheaded along with other police officers.
He said that instead of addressing the killings, “the governor has been on air announcing the names of Mr. Akin Fakorede, commander SARS and Mr. Stephen Hasso, Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of operations for refusing to kill those he wanted them to kill. The governor has been on air scandalizing their names.”
The leader, then, asked the Inspector General of Police to ignore Governor Wike’s call for the removal of the officers who he said had professionally performed their duties during the election.
Responding, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Cyril Okoro(Administrations) who received the protesters on behalf of the state police commissioner assured them that the letter and tape would be forwarded to the appropriate quarters and urged them to disperse peacefully in other to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
Also at the INEC office, Honourable submitted the letter and the tape to the commission, reiterating the position of the party that there was wide spread rigging in the state. He accused INEC of announcing results even where election did not take place, citing the Rivers East as example.
Receiving the letter, Barr. Adeyemi Olufemi of the legal department of the commission, who acted on behalf of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Aniedi Ikoiwak, expressed gratitude for the peaceful manner in which the protesters conducted themselves and promised to forward the documents to the appropriate authorities.
Some of the placards carried by the protesters read: “Ikoiwat is corrupt. He must go”, Police tried their best but Wike won’t let them be,” “There will be no more Wike for many thousand years”.
