BEVERLY HILLS, February 09, (THEWILL) – Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2015 Rivers election, Dr. Dakuku Peterside has made mind-boggling yet unsubstantiated allegations about last week’s judgment of the Supreme Court which upheld the election of the state governor, Nyesom Wike.
This was as he claimed that Wike had earlier met with one of the Justices of the Supreme Court in Mbaise, Imo State during an important burial, adding that he met another at Owerri in a hotel and was in Dubai and Saudi Arabia to meet with the other justices that were in the panel that decided the case in the Governor’s favour.
Addressing a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, governorship candidate of the APC in the state, Peterside said comments by Governor Wike at his thanksgiving service had many inferences which suggested that the Governor used the wife of one of his predecessors, Justice Mary Odili to influence her colleagues at the apex court.
Peterside stated that Wike at the thanksgiving service “confessed that when it came to the Judges, Dr. Peter Odili and the wife Justice Mary Odili [a Justice of the Supreme Court] were his advisers,” stressing that “This simply confirmed his earlier statements that he had contact with the Justices after several attempts to reach the Chief Justice of the country failed”.
While insisting that the judgment is not a product of justice and that it has dangerous implication for future elections, the APC candidate said: “Despite my acceptance and temperate public comments on the verdict of the Supreme Court on the 27th of January, 2016 Gov. Nyesom Wike, by his unguarded utterance last Sunday, seems to give credence to the pervading doubt being expressed on the judgment in public space especially in the media.
“Many a Nigerian continues to wonder why PDP and Gov. Wike’s supporters went on wild celebration across Rivers State as early as 9am on the day of judgment even if the actual verdict was handed down at about 6:20pm of that day.
“It clearly suggests that they might have been in the know of what the judgment would be long before the Supreme Court pronounced it. This is coupled with several comments especially on the social media some 3 weeks earlier such as “Thank God there will now be no need for a rerun election….. It is surely ending at the Supreme Court,” etc. etc.
“Credible information confirmed that Nyesom Wike had earlier confessed to some persons of having met one of the Justices of the Supreme Court in Mbaise during an important burial, another at Owerri in a hotel and yet others in Dubai and Saudi Arabia respectively. These Justices were in the panel that decided the matter in Wike’s favour.
“However, the most striking revelation by Nyesom Wike is contained in his account at the thanksgiving service last Sunday. He obviously stunned his audience and the watching world when he confessed that when it came to the Judges, Dr. Peter Odili and the wife Justice Mary Odili [a Justice of the Supreme Court] were his advisers.
“This simply confirmed his earlier statements that he had contact with the Justices after several attempts to reach the Chief Justice of the country failed. It is therefore obvious that the decision of the Supreme Court on the Rivers State Election was not a product of justice but rather a product of compromise and orchestrated contrivance to legalise electoral violence and rigging and, in turn, reward injustice. This calls for serious introspection by our Judiciary and judicial officers.
“For the records, in his speech at the church service, Gov. Nyesom Wike probably forgot that he was on live telecast when he stated: “Let me thank our former governor, Dr. Peter Odili [husband of Supreme Court Justice, Mary Odili]. He will call me midnight to tell me what to do….he will say ‘go so so place.’ I took all his advice, and here we are today. This shocking confession needs no further explanation except for you and other decent Nigerians to further make your fair conclusions.”
Peterside further berated the Governor for making what he described as hate speeches ahead of the National and State House of Assemblies rerun elections in the state, particularly the one that threatens the life of INEC officials that are to conduct the elections.
“Consequent upon the judgment by the Supreme Court, I, the APC Governorship Candidate, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, despite receiving the judgment with mixed feelings, came out to publicly announce my unreserved acceptance of the verdict.
“However, a few days later, the Governor, while addressing Civil Servants in Port Harcourt exhibited unconscionable indiscretion of the highest order by re-echoing his earlier incendiary statements threatening INEC personnel with death over the forthcoming National and State Assemblies rerun elections. He said, ‘Anyone who plans to rig an election is an armed robber and should be treated as such.
“If you are coming to rig an election in the state, first prepare your will before embarking on the journey. Inform your wife or husband and go ahead to say your last prayer.’
“The above statement by Gov. Nyesom Wike confirms his earlier threat last December while commenting on the rerun elections in Rivers State. Then he had stated, “We are not afraid of any re-run at all. But we have always said if they said there should be a re-run, let it be a re-run and not to write the result. Let them bring anybody as INEC official from anywhere that wants to be funny, I wish the person must have written his Will before he comes.”
“This is the most callous statement anyone can make, much more a state governor. It is a known fact that Wike promotes violence and believes so much in jungle justice but he forgets that such outlook does not have any place in a civilized society,” he said.
While also accusing his opponent of disrespecting President Muhammadu Buhari through his utterance, Peterside stated that Wike dared the President when he said: “If you like bring your Boko Haram soldiers to Rivers State, I will enter INEC office on election day (National and State Assembly rerun elections), let me see who will push me out.”
