Lawmaker blames Gov Wike over electoral Violence
Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, the Senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District, has blamed Gov. Nyesom Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for any violence which might have occurred during the December 10 legislative re-run elections in the state.
Speaking on Rhythm 93.7fm Port Harcourt news and current affairs programme tagged, “Talk-of-the-Town”, Abe said although he heard an incident that happened at Bodo community and not Khana; such incident could have been triggered by the order given to PDP supporters by the party's Arrest Resistance Committee to indulge in violence.
“From the outset, we had said that the nature of the languages employed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the arrangement they were making with arrest resistance committee, inviting youths and arming them and all that. It was clearly inevitable that violence would be the result of this kind of arrangement. Those of them who made such arrangements should be held responsible for what they did. As far as Khana is concerned, I didn't hear that anybody was killed in Khana. But I have seen reports that somebody died in Bodo. I do not know the circumstance under which that happened. What I have said and would like to repeat here is that as much as possible, incidents that occurred during the election should be properly investigated and those who are found culpable should be brought to book”.
Senator Abe wondered why few incidents of violence orchestrated by the PDP in Rivers South East Senatorial District should be used to assess his election while in Rivers East Senatorial District and even in Rivers West Senatorial District, such incidents were not attributed to the Senators who won in the districts.
“It is wrong to say that just because I won the election therefore anybody who died in my senatorial district died because of me. That is childish. Ok, the people who were killed in the other senatorial districts, has anybody said it was the senator who won in that senatorial district that is responsible for what happened?
Speaking further, he cited the beheading of Police officers at Omoku, which was not attributed to the Senator representing Rivers West, adding that the essence of the insinuation in Rivers South East was to smear his electoral victory.
“I think that the whole issue of trying to isolate or make a big deal out of Rivers South East Senatorial District was because APC won. In Rivers East Senatorial District, two local government areas were not even completed at the time these results were declared and I have never heard anyone talk about that. You are always talking about Rivers South East Senatorial District; PDP is always talking about Rivers South East Senatorial District; the governor is always talking about Rivers South East Senatorial District. We are talking about elections that were held state-wide. You have talked about people being killed in Rivers South East. People were beheaded in Omoku. How come nobody is talking about that? Let me state clearly even if the election is conducted 50 times in my senatorial district, there will be only one winner because that is the choice of the people of that district and the name of that winner is Senator Magnus Ngei Abe”.
On the audio tape where the governor was heard bribing INEC officials and threatening to kill any of them that did not comply, Abe said the content of the tape was not new as the governor had always threatened to kill INEC officials who did not do his bidding.
“I don't know why people are making such a big deal over the tape. Of course, everybody who knows the actors in that tape, knows very well that that is the voice of Nyesom Wike, the Governor of Rivers State. Everybody who knows him, knows that that is his voice. The other actors in the tape are also known, their names were mentioned, Dum Deekor and all that. I don't think that it is appropriate for the Peoples Democratic Party and indeed the Rivers State government to begin to point fingers at other people. There is nothing new in what he is saying there. It is the same thing that he has always said that he will kill anybody who does not do what he wants; that he will bribe people and compromise them with money and that what money cannot do, more money can do. When you know a man; when you know his character, capacity and credibility, there is nothing that he will do that will shock you. What he is doing in that tape is not different from the whole 'write-your-will'. What does write-your-will mean? It means you are about to die. It is the same thing he has been saying all along and it is the same thing that has been happening in the state”.
Abe said the problem with the governor was that he wants to usurp the functions of the Police, not only the Police but other institutions such as INEC and the National Assembly.
According to Abe, Gov. Wike does not see himself as a governor but an emperor in charge of everything in Rivers State both constitutional and unconstitutional.
“What the governor wants to do is to set up his own Police, INEC and National Assembly and create himself the emperor of Rivers State”.
Signed:
PARRY SAROH BENSON
Spokesperson to Senator Magnus Abe
December 19, 2016
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