National Chairman, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) John Odigie-Oyegun, has denied calling for the probe of Supreme Court judges over the recent affirmation of the election of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
A statement signed Thursday by National Secretary of the party, Mai Mala Buni, condemned in strongest terms a report in the Vanguard of Thursday titled ‘Oyegun Calls for Probe of Supreme Court Judges’
It said the report purported to convey the reaction of the respected statesman to the verdict of the Court on the governorship election in Rivers State.
“As much as he (Oyegun) expressed ‘total astonishment’ over the ruling of the Supreme Court,” the statement said, “Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, never called for the investigation of Supreme Court judges.”
It goes further: “Indeed, a copy of the statement issued following Chief Odigie-Oyegun’s meeting with the APC delegation from Rivers State was widely circulated. At no time during the meeting or in the statement referred to did the National Chairman make such a call for the probe of Supreme Court Judges. What transpired at the meeting was correctly reported in other media outlets.
“Given that the author of the Vanguard report was not physically at the venue of this event, but relied on this statement, it is baffling that he gave this slant to the story.
“The Party wishes to affirm that Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has the highest regards for the judiciary.”
Also on Thursday, the APC drew the attention of security agencies and other relevant bodies to what it described as dangerous threats by Wike in the lead-up to the March 19, 2016 rerun elections into the National Assembly and State House of Assembly.
It accused Wike of telling officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prepare their will before coming to conduct the elections in Rivers state.
The APC said it is also aware of threats issued by the governor to civil servants in the state to either support and work for the People Democratic Party (PDP) or face sack.
“The plot also include intimidation of eligible voters, INEC officials and security operatives deployed to ensure peaceful, free and credible rerun elections in Rivers state.
“Security agencies must be on high alert over the dangerous threats by the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike and by extension the PDP in the lead-up to the Rivers re-run election.
“The APC advises the Rivers State Governor and the PDP to grow out of its penchant for ‘do or die’ politics. We reiterate previous calls on the PDP to embrace the new Nigeria where elections are peaceful and votes of the people count,” the party said.
