Gubernatorial candidates of about 15 political parties participating in the forthcoming Governorship and State Assembly elections in Rivers State, have distanced themselves from the endorsement of Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike as the sole candidate for the governorship poll.
About 58 gubernatorial candidates under the Coalition of Gubernatorial Candidates, had last Thursday announced the endorsement of Wike, who is the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as their sole candidate for the election.
But, dismissing the endorsement of the governor, the Coalition of Gubernatorial Candidates and Party Chairmen (CGCPC) insisted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cleared only 57 governorship candidates in Rivers State.
Addressing newsmen in Port Harcourt yesterday, CGCPC Chairman, Pastor Warigbani Ezekiel, described the endorsement of the governor as concorted, misguided and shameful, saying the act is watery and belated.
Ezekiel said: “We wholeheartedly dissociate ourselves from the concorted, misguided and shameful endorsement of Barrister Nyesom Wike as sole governorship candidate by the so-called coalition of 50 political parties. Such endorsement is watery and belated.
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“We call on Governor Nyesom Wike and the PDP to be very careful in the systematic blackmail they are lodging on the electoral umpire, INEC.
“It is very worrisome that PDP cast aspersion on the integrity of INEC. It is on record that the PDP has made several attempts to compromise INEC.
“We are using this opportunity to call on INEC to maintain neutrality in the forthcoming Governorship and State Assembly elections in Rivers State.
“We call on the federal government and the EFCC to with immediate effect institute a panel with the aim of recovering and uncovering all looted funds. Details and records will be made available in the process.
“We commend the Nigerian Army and the GOC, 6 Division, Major General Jamil Sarham, for coming to the rescue of defenceless Rivers indigenes, especially in Abonnema, who were held hostage by hoodlums and thugs loyal to the PDP.
“The question Wike and PDP should answer is, what their relationship with the characters that are on the wanted list of the Nigerian Army?.
We have also observed with great dismay the “existing feud between the Rivers State government and the federal government. This senseless confrontation orchestrated by Governor Wike has lasted for nearly four years. In this case our beloved state and people suffered.
“We call on Rivers people to vote their preferred governorship candidate who can work in harmony with the Federal Government to bring the desire dividend to make our dear state.”
