Rivers accuses Army of shifting blames

The Rivers State government yesterday took exception to the military’s reaction to its indictment by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its alleged interference in the general election.

In a statement by its Commissioner for Information & Communications Emma Okah, the government accused the military of shifting blames

The statement reads: “This allegation by the Nigeria Army once again, is a bare-faced lie and I feel saddened by the unfortunate turn of events that the Army has entangled itself.

“Having been caught red-handed in unprofessional act of election malpractices, the Army are now ashamed of what they did and are looking for who to blame.

“What were soldiers doing inside collation centres? Did the Chief of Army Staff not warn soldiers to stay away from polling units and Collation Centres and only offer peripheral assistance where they are invited?

“Has the Army not said that the people wearing military uniforms and disrupting elections and attacking collation centres in Rivers State were not real soldiers?

“They are now lying against Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike because their plot to rig election and overthrow the will of Rivers people failed.

“The INEC has come out clear to indict the Army and these accusations against the governor are to divert attention and save their face.

“Was the governor going to smuggle result at the INEC headquarters in Port Harcourt where the Army invaded the INEC Office until police resisted them?

“Was it Governor Wike that went to the Khana Collation Centre where the security shot and killed Dr Ferry Gberegbe?

“Which result sheet was Governor Wike trying to smuggle in as the Army is alleging? Is it the unit results that had been declared at the polling units or the Ward results that have been collated at the wards before going to the State Constituency collation centre? These allegations cannot stand.

“The Army should look for another story to tell. This one is too cheap and dead on arrival,” the government said.