Rivers rerun: Gov Wike threatens to deal with lecturers

Lecturers opt out of Rivers rerun poll following threats by Governor Wike

Wike accuses lecturers of colluding with APC to rig Rivers rerun elections 

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state

Some lecturers from the University of Port Harcourt, who are among those listed as ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state and National Assembly rerun in Rivers state, have decided to opt out of the exercise over an alleged threat by Governor Nyesom Wike. 

Punch reports that Governor Wike had alleged that some lecturers had connived with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig the forthcoming poll scheduled for March 19. He threatened that such lecturers will face the wrath of Rivers people.

The threat credited to WIke has given most of the lecturers cold feet as some of them told the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ndowa Lale, on Monday, March 7, that they intend to stay away from the exercise due to the stance of the governor.

Dr. Otu Ekpeyong, one of the lecturers who featured prominently in Wike’s allegation is accused of colluding with the APC to draw up a list of returning officers from UNIPORT with the aim of rigging the polls.

But Ekpeyong denied the allegations saying he had witnessed many elections in the past and wondered why the governor should suspect that he was planning to rig the March 19 rerun elections.

He said: “The vice-chancellor gave me a job, which I did to the best of my ability. This (INEC ad hoc employee) is an assignment I have done for over seven years and my integrity has never been in doubt.

“Personally, I am making a decision of not going anywhere (not to be part of the election), he added.

Likewise Dr. Abdulrahman Megida, and Dr. Ben Ihewosira have also decided to opt out of the exercise following the charged political atmosphere in the state.

Abdulrahman Megida said he was opting out of the Rivers state rerun because the exercise had been politicized, while Dr. Ben Ihewosira demanded that his name be expunged from the list of INEC ad hoc staff for the polls on the ground that the state government which is the PDP based see him as having close ties to the APC.

Meanwhile, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, the APC candidate in the Rivers South-East Senatorial District re-run election has accused Gov. Nyesom Wike of keeping and maintaining a private army of hoodlums to further his political interest in Rivers South-East Senatorial District.

Speaking at Wave FM 91.7 news and current affairs programme tagged: “Crux of the Matter”, Abe said that the criticism against the presence of Nigerian Army in the District and other parts of Rivers State by the governor and the PDP was to ensure that the Army withdraw for his private army to take over and give cover to the manipulation of the March 19 re-run election.