RIVERS State governor, Nyesom Wike, has declared that the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has handed over original copies of the result sheets for the rerun election into the National Assembly to the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, for the alleged planned rigging of the December 10 rerun elections.
Speaking during the kick-off of the construction of the Ulakwo II-Afara–Nihi in Etche Local Government Area, on Wednesday, Governor Wike noted that Amaechi made the disclosure on Tuesday in Abuja during a meeting of Rivers APC leaders.
The governor said that he was in possession of the proceedings of the Abuja illegal meeting of the APC at Abuja .
Governor Wike stated that Amaechi assured the Rivers APC leaders at the meeting that the original result sheets supplied by INEC would be used for the December 10 rerun elections to facilitate victory for unpopular APC candidates.
However, when contacted, former Governor Amaechi maintained that Wike’s allegation was wild and baseless, saying that Amaechi had no business with any result sheets for the coming election.
In a reaction by his media office, Amaechi said: “These new allegations by Governor Wike is a cheap ploy by a failing, garrulous talkative to intimidate and harass INEC into doing his bidding and whip up public sentiment against APC, its candidates for the election and the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, ahead of the rerun election.
“Wike is scared and profoundly afraid; this is why he is telling these spurious lies. He knows he will lose at the polls if the election is free and fair,” he said.
Also responding, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, has maitained that the allegation was untrue, noting, however, that he was not ready to join issues with Wike or any other person.
Wike had said: “While we are working for the people of Rivers State to convince them to vote for us, the APC is busy working with INEC to rig the rerun elections.
“On December 10, follow your results bumper to bumper. Don’t allow anyone to swap results. I urge the Etche people to follow their results.”
The governor informed that the Rivers APC members who were arrested printing fake result sheets for INEC were transferred to Zone 6 Police Command headquarters in Calabar where arrangements have been concluded to take them to Abuja for the Director of Public Prosecution at the Federal Ministry of Justice to formally release them in line with the request of APC .
However, Ikoiwak said that the sheets for the rerun exercise have not been printed.
Speaking with Nigerian Tribune on telephone, the Rivers REC said: “The result sheets have not been printed. I don’t want to join issues with anyone, but hand over how? We should know that there are some things people will say and you begin to ask, how can such a thing happen?”
“One thing is clear: The result sheets for the conclusion of the Rivers legislative rerun election have not been printed. So, how can what has not been printed be handed over to somebody?,” Ikoiwak queried.
SOURCE.. TRIBUNE
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