Wike accuses APC of plot to disrupt council polls

Governor  Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, yesterday,  claimed  the state government had intelligence report that  a faction  of All Progressives Congress, APC, was arming  political thugs  to disrupt local government elections  taking place tomorrow in the state.


But in a swift reaction, APC denied that it was planning to disrupt the council polls, saying it had no stake in the election.

This came as the state Police Command said it would deploy over 15000 personnel across the state  for the election, warning youths to avoid being used to cause panic during the process.

Governor Wike, in a state broadcast, alleged that the APC faction planned to disrupt the elections  in Abua/Odual, Akuku Toru,  Asari Toru, Degema, Emohua, Ikwerre, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Opobo and Tai local government areas.

He said: “The arrowheads of this satanic plot are recruiting and arming political thugs with guns to be deployed on the eve of the election to create an atmosphere of insecurity in these and other local government areas and scare voters to shun the polling stations.

“ In the light of the these dangerous threats from these people, therefore, I wish to call on the security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police to live up to their primary responsibility of providing adequate security for the election and deal decisively with those who may attempt to disturb the peace, order and security of the State before, during and after the election.”

He said that the state government had received concrete assurances from the heads of all the security agencies that they had put adequate measures to secure the peace and ensure orderly conduct of the election.

He noted that the Rivers State government would hold the security agencies accountable should insecurity  be experienced in the state in the course of the elections.