The 2015 Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside has described the decision of the Supreme Court which validated the election of Governor Nyesom Wike as a product of compromise and an orchestrated contrivance to legalise electoral violence and reward injustice.
Peterside, who stated this while addressing a press conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, claimed having it on good authority that Wike met with “one of the Justices of the Supreme Court in Mbaise during an important burial, another at Owerri in a hotel and yet others in Dubai and Saudi Arabia respectively.” He added that these Justices were in the panel that decided the matter in his opponent’s favour.
The APC flag bearer went on to state that the Governor gave himself away at the thanksgiving service last Sunday “when he confessed that when it came to the Judges, Dr. Peter Odili and the wife Justice Mary Odili [a Justice of the Supreme Court] were his advisers.
“This simply confirmed his earlier statements that he had contact with the Justices after several attempts to reach the Chief Justice of the country failed,” he added.
The statement reads in full:
You will recall that on Wednesday, January 27, 2016 the Nigerian Supreme Court handed down judgment on the Rivers State Governorship matter. In that judgment, the apex court upheld the appeal by Gov. Nyesom Wike against the earlier decisions by the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Appeal Court which concurrently annulled Nyesom Wike’s election as governor.
NYESOM WIKE’S UNBECOMING THREAT TO INEC, OTHERS
Consequent upon the judgment by the Supreme Court, I, the APC Governorship Candidate, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, despite receiving the judgment with mixed feelings, came out to publicly announce my unreserved acceptance of the verdict. However, a few days later, the Governor, while addressing Civil Servants in Port Harcourt exhibited unconscionable indiscretion of the highest order by re-echoing his earlier incendiary statements threatening INEC personnel with death over the forthcoming National and State Assemblies rerun elections. He said, “Anyone who plans to rig an election is an armed robber and should be treated as such. If you are coming to rig an election in the state, first prepare your will before embarking on the journey. Inform your wife or husband and go ahead to say your last prayer.”
Consequent upon the judgment by the Supreme Court, I, the APC Governorship Candidate, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, despite receiving the judgment with mixed feelings, came out to publicly announce my unreserved acceptance of the verdict. However, a few days later, the Governor, while addressing Civil Servants in Port Harcourt exhibited unconscionable indiscretion of the highest order by re-echoing his earlier incendiary statements threatening INEC personnel with death over the forthcoming National and State Assemblies rerun elections. He said, “Anyone who plans to rig an election is an armed robber and should be treated as such. If you are coming to rig an election in the state, first prepare your will before embarking on the journey. Inform your wife or husband and go ahead to say your last prayer.”