“We are not a party to their so-called panel" - Wike on Leak Audio Investigation

Governor Wike said on Sunday that his administration and people of the state would not be a party to the police probe of the December 10 rerun elections, describing such investigation as phony.

The Rivers State governor, who spoke at a victory thanksgiving mass of the Peoples Democratic Party at Our Lady Chaplaincy of Catholic Institute of West Africa in Port Harcourt, said the probe into the rerun elections had a predetermined goal to indict the PDP and commence a politically-motivated prosecution of some members.

“The police cannot deliberately murder Rivers people in cold blood and turn around to investigate.

“We are not a party to their so-called panel. We have passed that stage and we cannot fall into the trap of a panel of inquiry. After killing our people, you want us to assist you to unravel what? It is the police that killed our people,” he added.

The governor wondered why the police would claim it wanted to investigate issues surrounding the Rivers rerun elections, claiming that the police were involved in the attempt to subvert the will of the people.

He accused the Police High Command of refusing to prosecute the APC chieftains allegedly caught on camera printing fake result sheets ahead of the elections.

Wike added that petitions to the Police High Command on the negative activities of an Assistant Commissioner of Police and a police commander in the state were disregarded.

The governor added, “If it is a country that believes in its image, so many people would have lost their jobs. They cannot ask themselves why 28,000 policemen, yet to be ascertained  number of soldiers, police dogs and horses, gunboats and helicopters could not police ordinary legislative elections.

“It is because the police were the ones committing the fraud, violence and election-materials snatching. We are accusing the police of mass murder and they turn around to set up a panel of inquiry.

“After killing our people, you fraudulently set up a panel of inquiry. Up till now, they don’t know that we are far ahead. This panel is a mere booby trap to indict the PDP members. If they cared about lives, they wouldn’t do what they did.”

In his sermon, Reverend Monsignor Pius Kii said that the coalition of forces would never defeat Rivers State.

The thanksgiving service was attended by the PDP leaders, senators, House of Representatives members, House of Assembly members and local government caretaker committee chairmen.

[Akasike/Adepegba/Punch]