The opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Tuesday, lambasted the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris for constituting a panel of investigation over the alleged threatening phone call by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
The PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said: “It is sarcastic for the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to constitute a panel of investigation for the purported ‘threatening phone call’ by the Governor of Rivers State, H. E. Chief Nyesom Wike instead of seeking solution to all the video evidence of the killings and hijacking of electoral materials by the Police and other security agencies with some INEC officials during the Re-run Elections.
“For instance, in Gokana Local Government Area, men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) were seen in a video shooting sporadically to disperse voters and later made away with ballot boxes. The same incident occurred in almost all the Polling Units in Rivers South East Senatorial District where Senator Magnus Abe was magically declared winner. Given the state of war in this entire District between security agencies and Rivers people, we still want to know who voted to make up the Results declared for the APC.
“We wish to also remind Nigerians of the Video of two staffers of the INEC caught in the act at the home of an APC Chieftain in Opobo Town, Sam Sam Jaja. These men were taken to the House of Mr. Jaja by officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and were apprehended while thumb-printing and writing of results in favour of Jaja’s Party, the APC. Equally, there is a popular video running in various television stations showing the Officer-in- charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Mr. Akin Fakorede in Rivers State who led his team to INEC Collation Center in Port Harcourt to hijack election materials.
“These and many more glaring evidences abound of the collaboration between security agencies, the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi and the INEC who were seen distorting and disrupting electoral processes in other to win at all cost but for the zeal and determination of the people of Rivers State who stood and defended their votes vehemently in most areas.
“We therefore urge the IGP to stop embarrassing Nigeria further and immediately bring to book all those seen in these videos committing electoral offenses. It’s suspicious and dangerous for the IGP to overlook these breaches of the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act by his men. Nigerians are waiting eagerly for the actions or inactions of the Police in this regard.
“However, Governor Wike has exonerated himself of the fabricated threatening phone call and the PDP also believes that the sudden appearance of the so-called video is only diversionary from the damning allegations of electoral malpractices by the Police, the Nigerian Army, the NSCDC and the INEC in the just concluded Rivers Re-run Elections.
“Assuming without conceding that the videoed phony phone call should be investigated, the negative actions of the IGP and his men have already created a heavy moral burden on them, and consequently, the Police is not in any position to set up a panel of inquiry against Governor Wike. We will resist any selective investigation by the Police or any other agency for that matter on the issue of Rivers Re-run Elections because such an attempt is aiming at covering the truth.
“In view of the above, the PDP is calling for a holistic investigation into the entire processes of the Re-run Elections before, during and after. The investigation should be conducted by a ‘non-partisan, unbiased and independent presidential committee’ in order to avoid turning the truth upside down and making villains out of the victims. Equally, the outcome will serve as a point of reference for our Country’s future elections and the need to protect, nurture and deepen our democracy.
“We once again condole with the families of those that paid the ultimate sacrifices. Their deaths will not be in vain.”
