Rivers State government has petitioned the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Army Staff not to release army personnel to former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi or any politician to interfere in Saturday’s election.
Governor Nyesom Wike, in a state broadcast on Thursday, said the State government decided to petition the aforementioned based on credible intelligence indicating the alleged plans by Amaechi and the All Progressives Congress, APC, to overrun and disrupt the Saturday elections in Rivers State.
Wike claims that the APC plans to use army personnel, civilian thugs and cultists dressed in army and police uniforms on election day.
The governor alleged that Amaechi and the APC governorship candidate Tonye Cole want to unleash violence during the Saturday election.
“We have written to notify the Hon. Minister of Defence, the Chief of Army Staff of the Nigerian Army, and the General Officer Commanding – 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, and requested that no military personnel is released to Rotimi Amaechi or any other politician to interfere with next Saturday’s elections in Rivers State.
“Furthermore, we have noticed that the Anti-terrorism Unit of the State Police command continues to provide VIP security services to politicians in defiance of the Inspector-General’s order to withdraw all police personnel attached to VIPs during the elections.
“We, therefore, request the Inspector-General of Police to enforce his order by ensuring that all political leaders are restricted to their polling units and prevented from moving about with police escort.”
Governor Wike also requested the security agencies to arrest and prosecute some members of the People’s Democratic Party, who he also claims are working with the APC to unleash violence in the state.
