Rivers: APC candidate narrates how he was attacked by thugs

– Azubuike Wanjoku, the APC House of Assembly’s candidate for Ikwerre constituency in Rivers state, accused Governor Nyesom Wike of telling lies

– He alleged that Wike ordered thugs in Ikwerre local government area to shoot him

– Wanjoku said that he and Dakuku Peterside were attacked by the trigger-happy policemen and hired hoodlums

Polling unit in Rivers state

Azubuike Wanjoku, the All Progressive Congress (APC) House of Assembly’s candidate for Ikwerre constituency in Rivers state, has denied the allegation levelled against him by Governor Nyesom Wike.

Briefing journalists on Sunday, March 20, Wike accused Wanjoku of instigating the trouble at Ikwerre council’s secretariat after he allegedly discovered that the election did not favour him.

The governor alleged that when supporters of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in the state overpowered Wanjoku, the lawmaker hit the retuning officer with his bulletproof car and pushed him into the bush.

However, Wanjoku, who is currently recuperating at an undisclosed hospital, accused the governor of telling lies, The Nation report.

According to him, Wike was annoyed that he (Wanjoku) and other APC leaders in the area resisted “the rigging machinery” and the abduction of the returning officer by suspected PDP thugs.

Wanjoku alleged that he was marked for assassination as the governor ordered thugs in Ikwerre local government area to shoot him.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials can testify to what happened. Those attacked included the Collation Officer, Allwell Egeonu. Many thugs were recruited to kill and I was one of those targeted.

“The story of what happened at the Ikwerre council’s secretariat has set a new record for electoral brigandage in Rivers state, like a tale told in a war movie. They rained bullets on me and some chieftains of the APC. This can only reinforce my belief that God does not fail to protect His people.

“The chief of staff to the governor of Rivers state and the caretaker chairman of Ikwerre local government area, men of the Nigerian Police Force, together with some hired armed thugs rained more than 500 rounds of live ammunition on my bullet-proof vehicle.

“Under our watchful eyes, members of the PDP were making entries into the collation sheets while the EO and some INEC ad hoc workers by stood and watched. We came to resist their rigging machinery: myself and the director-general of NIMASA (Dr Dakuku Peterside), were attacked by the trigger-happy policemen and hired hoodlums,” he said.

Meanwhile, the APC has called for the cancellation of the legislative election rerunin the 23 local government areas of Rivers state because of the violence involved in the process.

The party alleged that the police worked in conjunction with the PDP to manipulate the exercise and described the election as a sham.