Governor Wike Alleges Plan To Kidnap Rivers REC Ahead Of Governorship Poll

Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is planning to kidnap the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state.

According to the governor, the plan is in connivance with some security agencies with the aim of forcing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

The governor made the allegation on Tuesday, March 5 during a town hall meeting at the Rivers West senatorial district in Ahoada.

His words: “They are struggling to ensure that the governorship and state Assembly elections don’t hold in Rivers state. The APC is planning with security agencies to kidnap the Rivers state Independent National Electoral Commission Resident Electoral Commissioner.

“They will send people wearing army uniforms to kidnap the Resident Electoral Commissioner so that INEC will be forced to postpone the elections. That is their latest strategy and so I have to let the world hear that if anything happens, they should hold the APC and security services responsible.

“These people are not kidnappers, they are security agents organised by security agencies working for APC to see that the governorship and state Assembly elections don’t hold in Rivers state.”

He added that intelligence reports available to him also revealed plans to use armed thugs to disrupt the distribution of electoral materials for the polls.

Speaking further, he urged the people of Rivers not to be discouraged by the loss of the presidential election by the PDP, saying that national leadership of the party is following the legal route to retrieve the people’s mandate.

Responding to the governor's allegations, a spokesman of the APC in the state, Chris Finebone, told Channels Television that, “it would come as a surprise if the governor is lacking in false alarms at this time, which according to him comes before every major election.

“We know that close to every election, he flies these false kites to create a facade to cover up his schemes with the electoral umpire, cult groups and other collaborators of his.

“The truth remains if any such plans exist then it must be the handiwork of the governor who must of necessity, help security agencies unravel it all.” 

Meanwhile, the APC in Imo state have accused Governor Rochas Okorocha of destroying the party.

The caretaker committee chairman, Marcellenius Nlemigbo, said Governor Okorocha's action is due to his 2023 presidential ambition, even as he pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to caution the Imo governor over his conduct.

Speaking to journalists at the APC secretariat in Owerri, the state capital, Nlemigbo said Okorocha was using Buhari’s name to cause disaffection among party members in the state just to curry favour from the presidency.