By Ogochukwu Isioma
Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has hinted that Gov. Wike and the People’s Democratic Party in Rivers State have never won any election under an atmosphere that conforms with the tenets of participatory democracy or reflects the will of majority.
In a statement made available to media houses in Port Harcourt, Chief Eze said the legal ambush and witch-hunt by the Governor and his party against other political parties in Rivers State with a clear intendment of denying them participation in the 2023 elections in a bid to give their unsellable candidate a free ride to power exposes the cowardice of the Governor and his party who are afraid of going into a free and fair contest with other candidates and parties.
“What the world should know about Rivers State politics and how Governor Nyesom Wike has retained power in Rivers State since 2015 is that there has not been any proper democratic or free electoral contest since 2015 in Rivers State to test the true relevance of Wike.
His fear for proper and free electoral contest has always lured him to ensure that every strong opposition to his misguided governance of the State is quashed or dismantled.
.He did it in 2015 and by 2019 he perfected it by ensuring through the help of his stooge, Senator Magnus Abe and others that the APC is stopped from fielding candidates and contesting the 2019 general elections.”
“Sadly, he has adopted similar unholy tactics to see if he can stop other political parties from participating or contesting the 2023 general elections.”
Chief Eze said Gov. Wike started manifesting his evil intention by alleging a case of misappropriation of State Funds by the administration of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in order to stop Pastor Tonye Cole, the APC Flag-Bearer for the 2023 general elections from contesting, knowing very well that no Rivers State funds was either misappropriated or misplaced as the said funds were not only captured in the 2014 budget of the State but were also duly paid into the account of the State Government.
“The noise over this in order to demean or destroy the credibility of Pastor Tonye Cole is a clear exercise in futility as it is the arrogance and ignorance of Governor Wike that is on trial and not Amaechi or Pastor Cole.
As if his trial of Tonye Cole was not enough, Eze revealed that Gov. Wike has gone ahead to seek the disqualification of the Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic Party and Accord party.
According to report that has gone viral, “the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has instituted a suit seeking the disqualification of Accord Party, and the Social Democratic Party SDP governorship and other candidates from the 2023 election in Rivers State. Also joined in the suit is the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
PDP had in the suit asked the court to disqualify Dumo Lulu Briggs, the governorship candidate of Accord Party, and Maurice Pronen of SDP in the 2023 general elections for alleged non-compliance with the new Electoral Act by their parties during their various primaries.
In the suit filed before a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt PDP also asked the Court to compel INEC not to recognize candidates of both parties for the National Assembly positions also over alleged violation of Electoral Act, 2022.
Before now, Tonye Cole, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the founder of Sahara Energy Limited and Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, former governor and the immediate past Minister of Transportation have been dragged before a High Court on criminal charges on the allegations of illegal sale of state assets by the Rivers State Government.
It was believed that the suit was aimed at stopping APC from participating in the 2023 election.
As we aware that all these plots is to pave an easy way for the election of the unpopular and unacceptable candidature of Mr. Sim Fubara whom Wike want to impose on the State in order to protect the massive looting and misuse of Rivers State patrimony under his watch.
This notwithstanding, Eze reassured Nigerians particularly the good people of Rivers State that the latest plot by Wike will not work as Rivers electorates are now better enlightened and committed to voting out his candidate no matter the odds.
Eze wonders how a fellow that has been declared wanted by EFCC for withdrawing in a day billions of Rivers State funds on the behest of Governor Wike be supported by the people to rule over them as Governor.
Forcefully Imposing Fubara, an alleged stooge of Wike who should be having a day with the anti-graft agency – EFCC and who has got absolutely nothing to offer to ameliorate the sufferings he has bequeathed to River People and who is never better than some of the well positioned PDP Leaders like Dr. George Sekibbo former Minister of Transportation, the immediate past SSG and erstwhile Minister of Sports,Dr. Tammy Danagogo and others is a scheme by the Governor to continue with his regime of maladministration and visionlessness in Rivers State.
Eze gave credence to his report by quoting Barr. Eli Sogbeye who stated, “ven the unregistered SIM card who is putatively Cole’s opponent has nothing outside fulfilling Wike’s unconstitutional 3rd term ambition to offer. So far so good, no policy statement or direction outside beating the campaign gun with the crisscross of the State doing the PVC sensitization job of INEC. Of course with the same GDI impunity with which Wike began campaigns in 2013 even before he hijacked the PDP 2015 ticket”
Eze commended Rivers electorates for their resolve to change the narrative by deploying their PVCs to end an era of gross maladministration, administrative incompetence, thievery and acute laziness.
