Rivers State Governor , Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has berated the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) for releasing a list of adhoc staff to conduct the December 10 rerun elections with APC Ward Chairmen and ward Secretaries as Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs).
The governor also charged PDP members to as from Thursday till the conclusion of the rerun elections, resist politically engineered arrests .
Flagging off the rehabilitation of the General Hospital , Terabor and General Hospital, Bodo in Gokana Local Government Area on Thursday , Governor Wike expressed shock that the electoral umpire could publish a list of adhoc staff, fraught with such level of fraud.
He presented the fake INEC adhoc list to thousands of PDP supporters in Gokana, noting that the APC ward Chairmen, Secretaries and members have been duly identified . He said INEC and her sponsors will be resisted.
He said that it was unfortunate that INEC and security agencies are disregarding the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari that they should be impartial and deliver free and fair elections .
The governor noted that majority of the APC ward chairman and Secretaries listed as assistant presiding officers , were fraudulently tagged staff of the University of Port Harcourt , even when they are unemployed illiterates .
"INEC has released a fake list of adhoc staff for the rerun elections before the conclusion of their mandatory training . Majority of those on the list are known APC Ward Chairmen and ward Secretaries who are mainly unemployed , but listed by INEC as staff of the University of Port Harcourt .
"They think that my love for peace is a sign of weakness, but I want to declare that enough is enough. We are suppose to be under an era of change , but the love for fraud by INEC and Police is unprecedented ", Governor Wike said.
The governor added: "Anyone whose son or daughter is on that fraudulent INEC list should tell him/her to stay away on election day.
"All these desperate actions are geared towards the plot to rig in favour of a particular candidate , but that candidate will not win. The people of Rivers South-East Senatorial District must be allowed to vote persons of their choice".
The governor stated that the security agencies are working with APC leaders to release fake police and army uniforms to police thugs for electoral fraud .
"Nobody should intimidate you with security agents . Beginning today, resist any arrest . You must move around in groups to promote resistance of the robbers of mandate .
"For me, they are threatening that I will be the first governor they will assassinate. They are threatening that they will show me that they are security agencies . But, I will always protect the interest of Rivers State , no matter the threat", Governor Wike said .
On the rehabilitation of the General Hospital Hospital , Terabor and General Hospital , Bodo, Governor Wike said it will completed and equipped in record time.
He added that the Kpopie-Bodo road abandoned by Senator Magnus Abe after he collected over N4billion is nearing completion, while the dualization of Sakpenwa-Bori road is progressing according to schedule .
He called on Ogoni people to remain supportive of the PDP by voting massively for the PDP , pointing out that for eight years , APC failed to execute well meaning projects in Ogoni land.
Simeon Nwakaudu ,
Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor ,Electronic Media .
1st December , 2016.
