The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu is planning to reward the immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike with a ministerial appointment for ‘rigging the presidential election’ in the state.
In order to learn more about Wike’s role in the alleged widespread rigging against Labour Party presidential candidate Mr. Peter Obi in the state’s February 25 election, the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo met with him in May.
The Vice President-General of Ohanaeze (Abia), Dr. Kingsley Chidozie, led a group that met with the governor in the Exco Chambers, Government House, Port Harcourt, according to the Ohanaeze spokesman, Dr. Alex Ogbonnia.
Ogbonnia claims that Dr. Peter Aneke, the delegation representative chosen to speak, thanked Wike for his good relations with the Igbo community in Rivers State while informing him that Ndigbo were not pleased with him for alleged widespread election rigging and violence against Obi and his supporters in the state.
Wike, however, asserted to Ohanaeze Ndigbo that he owed no one an apology for the alleged rigging of the state’s presidential and legislative elections on February 25.
In contrast, the Special Assistant on Public Communication for Atiku claimed in a statement released on Sunday night that results from states like Rivers demonstrated how unreliable the election was.
He stated, “It was unfortunate that Tinubu planned to award former Governor Nyesom Wike with a cabinet portfolio notwithstanding the allegations of rigging leveled against him and a petition that has garnered almost 300,000 signatures.
“What INEC has put on IREV clearly shows that the presidential election in Rivers State was rigged. A petition on change.org has received close to 300,000 signatures from Nigerians so far calling for Governor Wike to be denied visas.
“As payment for that humiliating election, Tinubu is about to install Wike as a minister. What a loss. And this is the one who asserted to have pushed for June 12’s implementation?
I request that the United States and the United Kingdom move quickly to impose visa bans on election riggers.
In particular, INEC employees and members of the ruling All Progressives Congress should have their identities made public, he continued.
Goldenguy (
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