Governor Nyesom Wike, in this interview, speaks on the December 10 rerun elections in Rivers State. According to him, the Federal
Government invaded the state with all its might to rig the exercise , leaving in its trail blood of innocent Nigerians allegedly murdered by security agencies.
The governor says Nigerians should be thankful to former President Goodluck Jonathan for giving the nation free and fair elections in 2015, adding that with the way the legislative rerun elections went in Rivers, Nigerians should expect that the Federal Government will declare war on opposition parties in 2019.
After the rerun elections in Rivers State, you expressed doubt if the nation can have credible general polls in 2019. Throw more light on this. Why I said so is very clear. If you have that kind of invasion for ordinary legislative rerun elections in Rivers State on December 10, then I have my fear for 2019.
You saw the kind of invasion we witnessed on December 10 by security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. It is clear that with what we saw in Rivers, if the President declares he wants to run in 2019, then we should expect a tsunami, anybody that does not want it should go away. Nyesom Wike There will be fighter jets.
The only thing that was not deployed to the state on December 10 was fighter jet. We may see that, in 2019, if the President says he wants to contest the presidential election.
With the kind of invasion we had in the state for the rerun, if they are having gubernatorial and presidential elections and, by the grace of God, Mr President presents himself for the election, I wonder how it will be. This is why I said anybody thinking of election in 2019 is wasting his time. It will be like war. ‘If you don’t agree, we bomb you’.
If you can bring 28,000 policemen, three helicopters, 20 gunboats and then train special military all for legislative rerun elections in Rivers, then I have my fear for 2019. You cannot believe it that that Divisional Police Officers, DPOs, were all transferred on the eve of the December 10 elections.
They brought a Special Anti-Robbery Squad from outside the state. So, you can see what a presidential election will be like. If a fighter jet does not come out, then something is wrong. They must bomb everybody that says no to the presidential aspiration; if you don’t die before the election, you must die on the day of the election.
This will be the fate of anybody that does not agree. I saw it, the kind of conspiracy. Anybody that sees former President Goodluck Jonathan should say ‘thank you’ for saving this country.
We are busy congratulating other countries, yet we cannot have free and fair election in one state where you deployed big weapons. Let nobody deceive us that INEC is independent. A recorded audio where you allegedly threatened INEC staff over matters of the rerun is trending on line. Did I speak to any electoral officer in that recorded audio?
When you look at certain things, you laugh. Did they say I spoke to an electoral officer or they said I spoke to a third party, so I know what to answer? Who can show me where I spoke to any electoral officer?
Tell me. What did I say , what did I threaten? I never said anything, I never spoke to any electoral officer. It is unfortunate that this is a cover-up for the atrocities they committed.
Assuming though not conceding that I threatened an electoral officer, that if you don’t do the right thing, this and that will happen, does that give you room to go and do the kind of things you did? This is what we call total nonsense. I did not speak to anybody, no electoral officer can say I spoke to him or her. I never spoke to anybody.
I know a particular online medium when I was Chief of Staff here. What lies have they not said about me? The major thing is that did INEC, police, army compromise during the elections? Let us all face the realities and not shadows.
The various agencies compromised their roles during the elections. I can set up an equipment now and you see what will be done with voice. What can’t this government do? I don’t have a Chief Security Officer, CSO. They have now detained all the policemen that followed me to stop criminals who wanted to hijack results.
Even the police officer that was caught on video, they have told him to go. What kind of country is this? The one (police officer ) caught on camera doing funny things during the rerun elections, what have they done with him?
You led a protest march calling for the transfer of two police officers, you wrote to the Inspector General of Police over the issue. It was the entire Rivers people that went on the protest to the police headquarters.
The man (alleged compromised police officer) has done what they sent him to do. Having fulfilled that, he should leave us and then the police should send us those that can protect lives and property if that is the role of the police.
He (alleged compromised police officer) has delivered for them; so he should leave us. He has delivered, taken lives and delivered. Very shameful thing. What we will continue to do is to allow the public know what is happening.
Now, nobody is saying we (PDP) are causing trouble. Tell them (INEC) to show you the server of the uploaded results on the election, show the voting and see if APC got up to ten percent. What kind of system are we operating?
Where have you seen where they move a CSO without him (a governor ) knowing? My security is God. Look at what they did, look at the armory they brought into the state. How can you go into election without campaigning and expect to win?
They gave to each APC leader ten, fifteen security operatives. My Secretary to Government had no security. You threatened not to fund the police, will it not worsen insecurity in the state? It will not. Is it my duty to fund them? It is the duty of the Federal Government.
Let me use the money and put projects in the state. Do you fund your enemies? What is the police protecting now in the state? They did not support the amnesty program by the state government in the state. It was only the army that supported the program.
What politician are you if you cannot win assembly seat in your area? When I campaigned, I told the people the projects I did and they saw them. What did you ( APC candidates ) tell them?
You told them you will clean up Ogoni, which day? You took lives to get one seat. It pains me. It means they just came to take lives because of one senatorial seat and five House of Assembly seats.
Those of them who caused the death of the innocent people, God will judge them. I have never seen the kind of elections we had before. 350 security vehicles were sent to the state.
All to come and do their bidding. Now, INEC is not talking about the deaths because they know what happened. They are dumb. If it was the other way round, you would have heard them shouting that the state is too violent. No matter how you go and concoct story, those things are medicine after death.
The more you come out with might to rig elections, the more the people will resist and it will turn violent. They wanted to change results in Port Harcourt city local government. They did it in Ikwerre, chased out agents. Where have you seen where they collate results without party agent ?
The rerun elections were a case of David killed Goliath . I David and the Federal Government was Goliath. Where do you get money to do what you do?
Projects were highly inflated in the past. Look at the Sakponwa Road, the bill of quantity they did for laterite was N14 billion but we are using sharp sand for N9 billion. Assuming they were to use sharp sand, what would it have been?
People just think government is a place to siphon money. What would it have been like if they had brought Julius Berger to do that road? My greatest joy is that I am delivering on my campaign promises. Within the four years of my administration, my concern is to turn around the economy of the state.
In four years time, you will see the difference in the state. Have you been to our Pleasure Park to see what we are doing there? It is the best in Africa. Go and see the Akpajo/Elelenwo Road.
Look at the way they are fighting us because they see we are doing well. While we were doing elections, we were still working.
