FG not interested in conducting 2019 polls –Wike

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government is not interested in conducting elections in 2019, and urged Nigerians to be vigilant. 
Wike, who made the allegation yesterday, when thousands of sports men and women in the State, unanimously endorsed him for second term, charged them to defend their votes in 2019.
He said: “The sign is there that they want to rig the elections. They want to simply write results. What happened last Friday, when they invaded the state High Court is an eye-opener.”
The governor reiterated that the APC-led federal government has not executed any project in Rivers state and wondered why the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has, allegedly, not used his position to attract any project to the state.
“Because they have done nothing in Rivers state, they will plan to rig. But, I can only wish them bad luck.  Be prepared to defend your votes,” he said.
Wike said his administration has touched the lives of the people through projects. He said the 2015 APC governorship candidate in the state, Dakuku Peterside, lived in Diobu, but failed to construct their roads as Works Commissioner, adding that the roads have been constructed under his (Wike) leadership.
Meanwhile, Rivers State House of Assembly has resolved to write the United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU) to intervene in what it described as “ill-treatment by the APC-led federal government.”
The Assembly has, also, resolved to write the Presidency and embassies in the country to condemn last Friday’s attack on the state High Court by some hoodlums, where property of the judiciary were vandalised, following a protest staged by a faction of the APC in the state.
The resolution was sequel to a motion brought under Public Importance, by the Majority Leader,  Martin Amaewhule, and seconded by member representing Bonny Constituency, Abiye Pepple, during an emergency sitting of the House, yesterday.
Amaewhule, while moving the motion entitled: ‘Motion to condemn the violent attack/closure of the Rivers State High Court on Friday, May 11, 2018’,  said lives of the state’s chief judge, judges, judiciary staff and even Governor Wike, are under threat.
He regretted that security agencies, whose bases are less than five minutes drive to the High Court complex, were unable to arrest the situation.
The majority leader, who recalled the incidents that led to the closure of the courts and the Assembly, in the build up to the 2015 general election in the state, said the 1999 Constitution empowers the federal government to control the police.
He said: “Sadly enough, the federal government has delegated this control to certain individuals in the APC.”
Debating on the motion after the lawmakers, led by the Speaker  Ikuinyi Owaji-Ibani, stood down plenary to visit the High Court premises, for a first-hand assessment on the vandalism, the lawmakers condemned the actions of the hoodlums.
They regretted that an internal matter of a political party should lead to the destruction and looting of state property and vowed to work with the government to protect democracy in the state.
Commenting after the debate, Owaji-Ibani reiterated that the Assembly will not fold its hands and watch those he described as ‘enemies of democracy’ shut down an arm of government in the state again.
Responding, the Chief Judge, Justice Adama Iyayi-Lamikanra, expressed shock at the incident.
She said the judges had resolved never to allow the courts to be shut down again, which was why they (judges) all sat after the incident.
-Sun