APC: We’ll beat Wike ‘mercilessly’ in fresh poll

The Rivers state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says it will defeat Nyesom Wike, incumbent governor, in a fresh free and fair election.

Wike’s victory at the governorship election in April was punctured on Saturday, when the election petition tribunal nullified the original result and ordered the conduct of a fresh election within 90 days.

He plans to appeal the judgement in the hope that the appellate court overrules the tribunal, thereby rendering a fresh election needless. But APC has urged him to refrain from appealing the decision if he is sure of his popularity, so that both sides can instead meet at another poll.

“Wike is aware that in a free and fair election in Rivers State, the APC gubernatorial candidate, Dr Dakuku Peterside, will beat him so mercilessly that he will lose his deposit,” Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, spokesman of the Rivers APC chairman, said in a statement on Monday.

“If Wike and PDP are convinced that they truly won any election in Rivers State, we challenge them not to appeal the tribunal judgement and let the people of Rivers State decide their in a free and fair election.”

APC dedicated “Saturday’s victory over Chief Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)” at the tribunal to its members killed during the campaign period and the annulled election itself, alleging that more than 100 APC members lost their lives to agents of Wike and PDP in their desperation to win the April 11, 2015 governorship election.

“We wish to formally dedicate the tribunal judgement to our over 100 members killed by agents of Wike and PDP and wish to reiterate that their death shall never be in vain as we are determined to install, by the grace of God and with the help of the good people of Rivers State, a god-fearing administration that will take Rivers State to the next level,” the statement said.

“We have noted the sorrowful lamentations by Wike and the PDP leadership both at the state and the national levels since the tribunal nullified the election, but the three-man tribunal could not have done otherwise.

“While these lamentations are understandable, we strongly condemn the reckless utterances of Wike and Rivers PDP that tend to impugn the integrity of the tribunal. Wike’s loss seems to have affected his sense of reasoning; if not, how could he open his mouth and accuse APC of bribing tribunals to rule against PDP candidates in the South-South?”

It reminded Wike and PDP that both local and international observers condemned the election as a sham and an exercise in impunity, lawlessness and criminality, which can only be applauded by mindless and demented persons.

“The truth is that the verdict of the Justice Mohammed Ambrusa-led Tribunal was very much in order and consistent with the facts presented before it by APC and other bodies that participated in that election,” it said.

“We, therefore, wish to appeal to the tribunal to ignore the ranting and insults being thrown at it by the drowning PDP and her misguided actors.”