Wike Alleges Plot By FG To Use INEC To Rig 2019 Elections

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has alleged plot by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to print illegal gubernatorial ballot papers for three South-south states ahead of the 2019 elections.

Wike made the allegation  in Port Harcourt,  the state capital today when he received a letter of nomination as “Independent Newspapers  Political Icon of the Year 2017.

The state he named are Rivers, Delta and Akwa Ibom states.

According to him in the alleged plan, certain newly registered political parties would be deliberately excluded in the illegal ballot papers for the three states to serve as reason to nullify the elections of the three states and schedule a rerun.

Quoting what he described as credible intelligence report available to the State Government said, the indiscriminate registration of new political parties by INEC is for just to serve this purpose.

Wike said,  “All the the mass registration of new political parties is a deliberate plan by INEC to manipulate elections in three states.

“Rivers State, Akwa Ibom and Delta States have been earmarked for the printing of ballot papers where some newly registered political parties will be excluded as a ground for the  nullification of the elections by the tribunal.

“After the nullification by the tribunal as planned, EFCC  will be used by the APC Federal Government  to arrest the three governors, so that they will not be around during the repeat elections.”

The governor also alleged that the second strategy of the APC Federal Government is to use security agencies to unleash vicious violence on the day of the governorship elections in the three states to facilitate cancellation by INEC.

He noted that the entire struggle to hold the Presidential election ahead of other elections is one of the schemes at rigging the polls.

Governor Wike said that the APC Federal Government has performed woefully, hence they have nothing on ground  to campaign with, except to use INEC and Security Agencies to rig.

“APC is not a political party in the true sense of the word.  It is a congregation of people who did not want Former President Goodluck Jonathan to continue in office for personal reasons.

“The fight against Jonathan was not  in the interest of Nigeria.  They have realised their mistakes, but they lack the  courage to apologise because of their ego. If you move around, you will  see that things are bad.” he said.

He urged journalists to take up the responsibility of explaining to Nigerians the need to elect a credible Federal Government in 2019.

Earlier, the Managing Director of Independent Newspaper, Ade Adigun said that the newspaper nominated the governor as the Political Icon of the Year 2017 because of his commitment to the development of true democracy.

He commended him for his contributions to the revival of PDP as a viable opposition in the country.