- The All Progressives Congress (APC) has has hit back at Governor Nyesom Wike for saying he would die than allow the party take over Rivers state
- The APC says it is praying fervently for Wike to be alive to witness his downfall in the election in 2019
- The party also castigates Wike for allegedly speaking and engaging in actions not befitting of a governor
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to the series of allegations made against it by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers and his alleged declaration to die rather have the party take over the state in 2019.
The APC said it fervently praying for Wike not to die. The party said it wants the governor to live in good health to witness his defeat in the election.
READ ALSO: Gunmen kidnap 11 passengers in Rivers state
Governor Wike reportedly made the declaration recently while speaking at St Thomas’ Anglican Church, Diobu, Port Harcourt during a thanksgiving service.
In its reaction, the APC in Rivers said: “As a party, we find the governor’s statement extremely unbefitting and grossly demeaning to the high office of governor of a state.
“Governor Nyesom Wike’s vituperation in the holy house of God quickly reminds us that the governor is an unrepentant believer in violent politics.
“More importantly, it appears he is heading back to his old path of threat, incitement and sabre-rattling as a political ideology.”
The party, in a statement by its publicity secretary, Mr Chris Finebone, and obtained by NAIJ.com, said the people of the state have had enough humiliation from the governor’s uncouth and indecorous words and behaviour.
The statement said the people of Rivers want a leader who would show the exemplary carriage exhibited by past governors of the astate.
“Governor Wike should realise that it behoves on him to be the best example of who Rivers people are and not the present decrepit, bizarre and disgraceful impression he presents especially in his public utterances.
“By declaring to die than to allow APC win Rivers state in 2019, Governor Wike has made sufficient declaration of electoral ‘do-or-die’ war.
PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigeria’s #1 new app
“The governor obviously has crossed the red line between politics of decency and moral high ground and thuggery.
“The declaration is manifestly anti-democratic and assaults the sensibilities of decent people.
“Clearly, Gov. Wike has demonstrated that the only language of politics he understands is violence and killing hence his unrestrained use of the word ‘die’ in most of his statements concerning elections.
“He is known for threatening death to electoral officials and every other person, sadly, he has now promised death to himself. But by all means, the APC honestly wants Governor Wike alive and well.
“God willing, the APC will win Rivers state resoundingly come 2019 and the governor will remain alive to experience what is called governance and not the tokenism he is offering the people now.
“The governor will live to witness a government that will undertake visionary projects based on budgets that will be made public as against the present mafia-style government of his where everything, including the state budget, is patently secret,” the APC said.
NAIJ.com earlier reported that Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state recently raised the alarm that the country’s democracy is under threat.
He spoke when the Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Lehmann visited him at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Tuesday, August 29.
Wike alleged that the police, the APC and the INEC were planning to rig the upcoming general elections in 2019.
Watch this video as Goodluck Jonathan, former president, speaks on the future of the Peoples Democratic Party: