Ahead of the March 19 rerun elections in Rivers State, the governor Chief Nyesom Wike has threatened to neglect Ogoni in his development programme if they vote Sen. Magnus Ngei Abe to represent them in the National Assembly.
Wike stated this during the celebration of his Supreme Court victory at the weekend in Port Harcourt.
Abe a former senator who represented the Rivers South-East in the 7th Senate is seeking a re-election.
The governor said that if they vote for Abe or any All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the election, he will not develop the area as they will not work with him.
“Magnus will not work with me. If you vote him I will not provide those things I promise Ogoni. Olaka will work with me”.
He urged Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faithful in the state to be ready to defend their votes, adding that all APC candidates in the election are wasting their time as nobody from Abuja will come to influence election results in the state.
He maintained his earlier position that any staffer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that wants to influence election results in the state should prepare his will and show to his family before coming.
However, Wike said he is ready to partner with INEC to conduct a free and fair rerun in the state.
On the allegation that he ignited the crisis in Ogoni that led to loss of lives and properties, Wike absolved himself, stressing that his speech at the birthday party of Sen. Lee Ledogo Maeba did not in any way caused the mayhem and sympathized with the people while he promised that government will take over the responsibilities of those who died and those that sustained injuries.
Meanwhile, there was a tensed moment at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium (former Liberation Stadium) on Saturday during the thanksgiving service as an unidentified woman said to be in her late 50s or early 60s reportedly collapsed causing panic in the stadium.
An eye witness who did not give his name told our reporter that the woman who was among one of the major PDP support groups at the stadium was rushed into a waiting ambulance by the medical team and driven off.
As at the time of going to press nothing has been heard on the state of health of the woman.
