4th April, 2023
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Rivers governor, Nyesom Wike has told Tonye Cole, the candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC in the March 25 governorship election that he cannot defeat the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP candidate in the state even if they cancelled the election 25 thousand times and hold fresh ones.
Wike spoke during the inauguration of Government Secondary School in Kpor Community of Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers on Tuesday.
He was reacting to clash between PDP members and APC members led by Tonye Cole over inspection of election materials at the Port Harcourt office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Monday.
Wike, who asserted that Tonye Cole lost the governorship election to the PDP candidate said the APC should had sent his lawyers or agents, instead of personally going to INEC office to collect certified true copies (CTC) of electoral materials.
He said the decision by Cole to go personally to collect the electoral materials was suggestive of a sinister motive that should not be waved away but queried.
While urging Tonye Cole to come out clean so that people would know his intentions, Wike also dismissed as baseless the allegations that PDP members attacked him and prevented him from accessing INEC office in Port Harcourt.
“Have you seen where a candidate is going to INEC to collect certified true copies (CTC)? What are your Lawyers doing?. What are your agents doing? These are duties of lawyers. What CTC do you want to collect?
“Can’t people see the truth of the matter, you’ve lost the election. Even if they cancel the election 25 thousand times in this State, you cannot win us (PDP) in this State. Let the truth be told.”
Wike said proactive measures are taken to ensure that APC is not allowed the liberty to repeat what they did in 2015, when it manipulated the Nigeria Police to tender results at the tribunal that truncated the will of the people.
The governor reiterated that APC as a political party is dead in Rivers State, therefore, cannot win any election.
According to him, this was manifested in the last election as Tonye Cole could not win any legislative seat for his party.
Governor Wike boasted that everybody knows who was behind the bulk vote that Bola Tinubu got from Rivers State, and he owes nobody any apology for supporting the emergence of a southern presidency.
“How can you they rigged you out. You said you made your Presidential candidate to win. Your presidential candidate won, but you didn’t get one senate (seat). What kind of wining is that?”
Wike claimed the PDP the party won all three senatorial seats, 11 House of Representatives seats and all 32 State House of Assembly seats in Rivers because of its performance and popularity in the state.
He also wondered why Tonye Cole would think that Rivers people will give him their mandate when he is already facing prosecution over diversion of $50M proceeds from sale of State assets to Sahara Energy.
Wike also described as laughable the decision of the governorship candidate of Accord party, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs and that of the Labour Party, Beatrice Itubo, to approach the election tribunal to contest the election results.
He said these candidates were not opponents in the election but were only desirous to be on the ballot.
Wike, who commended his counterpart of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, for supporting equity, fairness and justice, said PDP lost the chance of winning the presidential election due to impunity and arrogance.
Inaugurating the project, Governor Ortom commended governor Wike for sustaining his delivery of quality projects, working in synergy with his cabinet, that is impacting positively on Rivers people.
According to him, the magnificent edifice, Government Secondary School, Kpor will be a very conducive learning place for students who will be well moulded to become the kind of future leaders that the country requires.
In his address, Rivers State Commissioner for Special Projects, Deinma Iyalla said there are 18 buildings that were remodelled and reconstructed within the premises.
These buildings, he explained, house the classrooms, library, hostels, a dinning hall, kitchen, staff quarters and three generating sets to provide electricity and regular water supply.
Speaking at the event, Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Chinedu Mmom described the project as being of good quality and thanked the governor for his intervention to which the students are grateful.
In his address, Chairman of Gokana Local Government Area, Confidence Dekor said governor Wike, with his untiring delivery of projects in the area, has proved that he is a true brother and friend to them.
He promised that Gokana people will maintain the buildings and facilities in order to maximise the derivable benefits from them.
1) Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State commissioning Government Secondary School,Kpor in Gokana local government area of Rivers State