TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has raised the alarm saying that there is a plot by security agencies and the All Progressives Congress (APC ) to kidnap the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state to create an excuse for the postponement of the governorship and state Assembly elections. 

Governor Wike further declared that the state government had also intercepted credible intelligence that the APC also planned to use the security agencies to generate mass violence to disrupt the distribution of electoral materials on March 9, 2019, to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reschedule the governorship and state Assembly elections.

He spoke during a town hall meeting for Rivers West senatorial district, Ahoada and decried the situation, where the APC and security work illegally to postpone the elections on the basis of contrived violence.

Wike said: “They are struggling to ensure that the governorship and state Assembly elections do not hold in Rivers State. The APC is planning with the security agencies to kidnap the Rivers State Independent National Electoral Commission REC.

“They will send people wearing army uniforms to kidnap the Resident Electoral Commissioner so that INEC will be forced to postpone the elections. That is their latest strategy and so I have to let the world hear that if anything happens, they should hold the APC and security services responsible.

“These people are not kidnappers, they are security agents organised by security agencies working for APC to see that the governorship and state Assembly elections don’t hold in Rivers State.

“These security agencies have been organised to ensure that the elections are postponed. This ugly plan has failed. I am calling on Nigerians to take note of this undemocratic plot.

“We have also gathered that the APC and security agencies plan to disrupt the distribution of electoral materials and compel INEC to postpone the governorship and state Assembly elections”, Wike alleged.

He wondered why some politicians were keen at unleashing violence on innocent Rivers people.

“Since we have known the plot, it will fail. I don’t know, just because you want power, you go to the extreme. Why arm youths to kill people so that elections will not hold”? the governor asked.

He urged the people of Rivers West senatorial district to be vigilant all through the governorship and state Assembly elections for the purpose of ensuring that the elections held in line with the extant laws.

He said rather than plot the disruption of elections, APC leaders should test their popularity by supporting another political party during the March 9 elections.

The governor said that the presence of his administration is felt across the eight local government areas of  Rivers West senatorial district.

“We believe, if we are given the opportunity for a second term, we will complete all ongoing projects and initiate new projects for the benefit of the people.

“In this party, if we make a promise, we fulfill the promise,” he said.

Governor Wike urged Rivers people not to be discouraged by the loss of the presidential election by the PDP, saying that the national leadership of the party was following the legal route to retrieve the people’s mandate.

The governor reiterated his call on Rivers people to be peaceful during the governorship and state Assembly elections, appealed to them to defend their votes.

Chairman of the State PDP Campaign Council, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, said that the district would support the re-election of Governor Wike because of his outstanding projects delivery in the area.

He said the alleged evil plans against the state by the APC and their collaborators would fail because the people love Governor Wike and the PDP.

A spokesman for Asari-Toru Local Government Area, Samuel Horsefall, said that the people would vote overwhelmingly for Governor Wike and PDP candidates during the March 9 elections.

Speaking, Promise Jacob of Ahoada West Local Government Area, said that the new vision was a distinct state and nationhood agenda, which the people of the LGA  would support.

Also, Raymond Oyil, who spoke on behalf of Abua/Odual LGA, stated that the area had every reason to support the re-election of Governor Wike, adding that they were committed to the victory of PDP candidates.

Also speaking, Professor Jason Osai of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, said the people of the area were solidly behind Governor Wike for the March 9 elections.

Pastor Tobins Tobins of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area said that the people of the area would use the governorship and state Assembly elections to make a resounding statement that the area is for the PDP.

When our correspondent contacted the Director-General of APC’s Tonye Cole Campaign Organisation, Chidi Lloyd, he declined to comment. Instead, he simply said, “ask Wike.”