Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of handing over original copies of result sheets to the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, for the planned rigging of the December 10 rerun elections.
Wike made the allegation yesterday while flagging off the construction of the Ulakwo II-Afara–Nihi in Etche Local Government Area of the state.
Wike stated that Amaechi made the disclosure on Tuesday in Abuja during a meeting with the leaders of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor said he was in possession of the proceedings of the “illegal meeting” of the APC in Abuja.
Wike stated that Amaechi assured the state APC leaders at the Abuja 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.
He 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.
“Amaechi told them at the illegal meeting that (Senator Ali Modu) Sheriff is working for them (APC) and that they have finished PDP. Sheriff cannot finish PDP, he can only finish himself.
“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 disclosed that the state APC members who were arrested printing fake result sheets for INEC were transferred to Zone 6 Police Command headquarters in Calabar where arrangements had 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.
He assured the people of Etche Local Government Area that he would stand with them to resist the rigging of the December 10 rerun elections in the state.
Wike declared: “Tell them, INEC you cannot rig election in Etche. Tell INEC, you cannot support another party to rig the election.”
However, Amaechi has described the allegations as wild and baseless.
In a statement by his media office, Amaechi said the allegations by Wike was a cheap ploy to intimidate and harass INEC into doing his bidding and whip up public sentiment against APC, its candidates for the elections and the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, ahead of the December 10, re-run elections in the state.
“The allegations by Wike was 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 elections and the President Buhari administration, ahead of the December 10, re-run elections in Rivers State. We know his game, this is an old worn out trick that will certainly fail.”