Rivers LG Election: APC arming, recruiting political thugs – Wike

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has alleged that there are plans by the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state to disrupt the Local government elections scheduled for this Saturday.

Wike at a State broadcast ahead of the election fingered the State Chairman of the APC, Ojukaye Flag Amachree, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Oji Ngofa and former Commissioner for Agriculture, Emma Chinda.

The Governor said security report available to him revealed that the three APC chieftains had allegedly mobilised youths to cause crisis in nine Local government areas on the election day.

He, however, announced restriction of movement in every part of the state, just as he called on security operatives to arrest any individual who violated the order.

“The APC faction plans to disrupt the elections in Abua/Odual, Akuku Toru, Asari Toru, Degema, Emohua, Ikwerre, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Opobo and Tai Local Government Areas.

“The arrowheads of this satanic plot, the State Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Mr. Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, the former Commissioner of Agriculture, Mr. Emmanuel Chinda and the current Nigeria’s Ambassador to Netherlands, Ambassador Oji N. Ngofa are recruiting and arming political thugs with guns to be deployed on the eve of the election to create an atmosphere of insecurity create in these and other local government areas and scare voters to shun the polling stations.

“Mr. Ojukaye Flag-Amachree is a double murder suspect who has refused to submit himself to trial. Yet, this fugitive to justice recently emerged as a factional State chairman of his party against a court order and is now emboldened by the protection he is getting from the Police and the Federal Government to engage in subversive activities against the interest and people of Rivers State.

“In the light of the these dangerous threats from Ojukaye and co-travellers therefore, I wish to call on the security agencies, especially the Nigerian Police to live up to their primary responsibility of providing adequate security for the election and deal decisively with those who may attempt to disturb the peace, order and security of the State before, during and after the election,” Wike alleged.

In the meantime, the APC in Rivers state has declared that it would not participate in the Local government election.

The party in a statement by its Chairman, Ojukaye Flag Amachree said the Local government election was illegal following a matter pending before the Supreme Court.

Flag Amachree asked its members to go about their normal duties and disregard Governor Wike’s vituperation.