Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State confessed yesterday, 07 February 2016, that he would have abandoned any rerun attempt had he lost at the Supreme Court.
Wike who lost both at the governorship tribunal and the Court of Appeal, said the Supreme Court has just restored the confidence of Nigerians to the judiciary.
The governor spoke on Sunday at a Thanksgiving service at Saint Peter’s Anglican Church that attracted PDP leaders across the country. In attendance were Governors Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State. Also present was the former first L
lady, Patience Jonathan, former Rivers State governors Peter Odili and Celestine Omehia as well as national and state legislators.
Wike stressed that if the Supreme Court had nullified his election, he wouldn’t have contested the rerun governorship election. He said there was a plot to use security forces to instigate a loss of lives in the state.
The APC had severally alleged that the ruling PDP had deployed violence to write results for their choice and demanded a repeat, which the Supreme Court just turned down. Wike now says the new federal government now in APC control was planning to do what he was accused of.
Wike noted that God worked in his favour by reversing what several persons thought was irreversible with the previous judgments of the Election Tribunal and the Appeal Court.
He said: “Nothing is impossible with God. Men of God prophesied a few days to the Supreme Court that the judgment will confirm the mandate given to us by the Rivers people. We won the election clearly as has been confirmed by the Supreme Court. If there was a rerun, I wouldn’t have contested it because there would have been bloodbath. I resolved not to be part of anything that would bring bloodbath.”
Wike claimed that a plot had been hatched to arrest him and detain him to discourage Rivers people before the Legislative elections earlier scheduled for February 6. According to him, the political powers were already indiscriminately arresting PDP members and leaders across the state, preparatory to the rerun elections.
He assured the people of Rivers State that he would judiciously use the mandate to advance the course of development in the state.
The governor reiterated his earlier declaration that he will not allow the rigging of the rerun elections in the state, noting that any electoral worker who attempted to rig would be treated like an armed robber.
He said: “I am the executive governor of Rivers State and a strong one for that matter. We will support INEC to conduct credible elections. However, any official who plans to rig will get the treatment reserved for armed robbers.”
He said that between December 1 and 18 of 2014; the former Rivers State Government used 150 million United States Dollars to fund the APC elections. He said that the State Government will recover all stolen funds.
He added that Dakuku Peterside who contested against him was not an orphan. “I will be a father to Dakuku Peterside. He is not an orphan “.
In his sermon, Archbishop of Niger Delta Province, Ignatius Kattey said that the victory of Governor Wike at Supreme Court has brought peace to the state. He called on the governor to be father of all the people of the state.
