Nyesom Wike Says Rivers Post-Election Crisis Is ‘Nothing Abnormal’

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Tuesday, said the face-off between his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Port Harcourt, the state capital, is “nothing abnormal.”

Leaders and members of the APC in the state were on Monday, April 3, attacked in Port Harcourt by thugs and supporters, which the party claimed, were of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Recall that Monday’s attack occurred during a visit to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s office by Mr. Tonye Cole, APC Governorship Candidate, Dr. Innocent Barikor, Deputy Governorship Candidate,  Mr. Emeka Beke, State Chairman of the Party, and three other party officials to obtain the Certified True Copies (CTC) of vital documents in the March 18 Governorship and House of Assembly elections.

The PDP in the state has for a week now, been engaged in protests, stating that INEC should release the electoral materials to APC for inspection only if the PDP is also present.

Wike, in a live media chat in Port Harcourt, argued that PDP was simply being on alert to avoid a recurrence of an incident in the aftermath of the 2015 elections.

“There is nothing that is abnormal that you think that is going on in Port Harcourt. What PDP is doing is just to be vigilant,” he said.

“Vigilant in the sense that during the 2015 [post-election period] precisely, after the elections, after the nomination, we had problems that we never believed, and so we didn’t want a recurrence of that at the tribunal.”

The Rivers governor said the PDP was shocked that the police tendered original results at the tribunal, rather than CTCs of the original.

“Everybody was shocked: ‘How would the police tender original results?’ And INEC had its own certified true copies. INEC tendered their own,” he said.

“To our greatest surprise, the court accepted the police’s original results. It was surprising to us, down to the Court of Appeal and we have seen this happen several times. Remember what happened in Imo State.”

According to him, Rivers PDP needs to be “extra vigilant”.

He argued that since every party is entitled to the documents that were used in conducting elections, having applied to INEC, the PDP needs to ensure it is receiving what others are.

“And we now said to INEC, ‘We will know whether what you’re giving to us is what you’re giving to these parties. Note all the parties and sign for it, so we’ll know that you’re giving exactly the same you have given to these people.’

“But we don’t want what happened last time to reoccur. You can’t have two Michaels at the same time. So, all these things you are hearing that the APC is shouting is because they know that game they played the last time, we will not allow it to happen again,” Wike said.

In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that the management of FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, manufacturers of Peak Milk, on Tuesday, tendered an apology to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) over its “offensive” Easter advert.

The company used the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as a metaphor to promote its product on Good Friday.

The organisation said the advert has been withdrawn.