Wike’s Life in Danger, PDP Tells Buhari

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has protested to President Muhammadu Buhari over an alleged incessant Police harassment and attacks on the person of Governor Nyesom Wike

The party alleged that the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, was behind an assassination attempt on the life of Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike at the weekend.
In a statement issued yesterday by its Head of Publicity, Chinwe Nnorom, PDP asked President Buhari to order the immediate transfer of Mr. Fakorede of SARS out of Rivers State.

According to PDP, the covoy of Governor Wike was ambushed by a contingent of security apparatus led by the commander of Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS) in Rivers State, Mr.  Akin Fakorede and allegedly supervised by Amaechi’s ADC, Mr. Debewari.

The statement said: “These constant harassments and attempt on the Life of Governor Wike are an open invitation to anarchy and another plan of the APC to ignite crisis against Rivers State.
“PDP is once again constrained to draw the attention of President Buhari to another assassination attempt by his Minister on Governor Wike on Saturday, November 11, 2017 in Port Harcourt”.

While condemning the attack, PDP called on President Buhari to order the immediate transfer of Mr. Fakorede of SARS out of Rivers State, adding that delay in doing so will mean that their action has his tacit support.

“We are also calling on the International Community to take note of these chain of activity that is carefully planned by the (APC) and being executed by the Minister of Transport. If anything happens to Governor Wike or his immediate family and aides, the APC and Mr. Amaechi should be held responsible. “A stitch in time saves nine,” PDP warned.

Meanwhile, Governor Wike, has declared that the (APC)-led federal government  is using the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, to cause crisis in Rivers State through contrived judgments and pronouncements .

The governor said that the Court of Appeal President has used her position to set up a special panel for the purpose of dissolving  local government councils in Rivers State and enthroning APC members sacked by the Federal High Court as Council Chairmen.

Speaking during a thanksgiving service at the State Ecumenical Centre in Port Harcourt yesterday  to mark the “Global Human Settlements Outstanding Contribution Award “ by the Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards (SCAHSA) supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Wike said that he resolved  to bring the  ugly actions at the Court of Appeal to the attention of Nigerians, law professionals and the political community for them to take the necessary steps.

He said: “The President, Court of Appeal is being used to cause crisis in Rivers State.  When you see that something is going bad , you let your people know. That is what I am doing.
“Despite the fact that the appeal on the Local Government matter has been scheduled for February 2018 at the Supreme Court  and the Court of Appeal at the last sitting resolved to respect that position, the President Of the Court of Appeal has set up a Special Panel for the matter.”

The governor said that the aim is to create an atmosphere of conflict in Rivers State, so that the APC federal overnment would use security agencies against the people.
According to Wike, the Court of Appeal President has consistently used Justice Gumel and a few selected justices to carry out an illegal agenda  against the state.

He pointed out that the same set of judges were used by the President, Court of Appeal to  nullify all the National and State Assembly elections in Rivers State , despite the provisions of the law. He said of the 36 states, only Rivers State suffered that fate.

“We will not accept anything that is contrary to the law. We will put up a petition to the relevant authorities to protest the actions of the President of the Court of Appeal”, Wike said.
He alleged  that the APC has alerted the security forces to assist  the APC forcibly  take  over the local government council secretariats when the pro-APC Appeal Court judgment is delivered, despite the fact that there is right of Appeal because  it is a pre-election  matter.

On the Global Human Settlements Outstanding Contribution Award “ by the Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards (SCAHSA) , Wike said that the Former Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed worked for the APC federal government to scuttle the honour.

“The government of Nigeria fought to stop us, but God said it is an honour he has signed and there is nothing anybody can do. I dedicate the honour to the people of Rivers State “, he said.
On the attack on his convoy on Saturday, Governor Wike said the people of Rivers State should not be surprised at the level of desperation by the Minister of Transportation , noting that they should expect worst actions  by the APC in the future.