Amaechi To Wike: Stop Making ‘Spurious, Silly Allegations’

The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, has advised Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyesom Wike to stop desecrating the office of the governor with his “spurious and silly allegations” regarding the just-concluded rerun election in the state.

Amaechi, former governor of Rivers State, was reacting to the allegations by Governor Wike that he, Amaechi, used the army and the police to hijack results from Ikwerre local government area on Saturday.

In a statement by the former governor’s spokesperson, David Iyofor, the minister described Wike’s allegation as false and called on him to allow INEC carry out their duties as expected.

According to Amaechi, Wike cannot dictate to INEC when to release results.

“The Minister is not aware of what Wike is talking about.

“Wike must allow INEC to collate and announce the results of the rerun elections. As governor, Wike cannot be INEC or dictate to INEC how and when to announce election results.

“It’s sad, very sad that Wike is desecrating the office of the governor of Rivers State with all these spurious and silly allegations.”

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission has declared the senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers-West, Osinachukwu Ideozu, the winner of the election in the senatorial district.

The Returning Officer for the senatorial district, Prof Raphael Echebiri, announced that Ideozu got 107,166 votes to defeat his opponent from the All Progressives Congress, Otelemaba Amachree, who polled 46,898 votes.

There was, however, widespread jubilation among PDP supporters as the news of Ideozu victory broke.

Governor Wike, who spoke at the Government House on Monday, commended the people of the state for standing up in defence of democracy and the interest of Rivers State.

In the results declared earlier, the APC candidate in the Rivers South-East senatorial election, Magnus Abe, polled 125,938 to defeat PDP’s Olaka Wogu, who scored 25,394.

But the PDP candidate in the Rivers-East senatorial district election, George Sekibo, scored 93,098 to defeat his closest rival, Andrew Uchendu of the APC, who polled 34,193.

The PDP also retained the Rivers-West senatorial district seat as its candidate, Osinachukwu Ideozu, scored 107,166 to defeat the APC candidate, Otelemaba Amachree, who garnered 46,898.