'PDP'll Resist Plot To Remove Rivers REC'

THE Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has vowed to
resist an alleged plot by the Independent National Electoral
Commission in connivance with the All Progressives Congress to remove
the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Gesila Khan.

The state PDP specifically accused the state Governor, Mr. Rotimi
Amaechi, of planning to bribe INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega,
to remove Khan and replace her with a card-carrying member of the APC.

The State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, who
spoke withThe PUNCHin a telephone interview on Saturday, cautioned
Jega to stay away from Rivers and allow the state REC to be.

It will be recalled that the PDP polled 1,487,075 votes while the APC
got 69,238 votes, an election result that the APC in the state had
continued to describe as unrealistic.

But Nwanosike explained that the outcome of the Presidential and
National Assembly elections was the wish of the people of the state,
adding that the state REC had done nothing to merit the alleged plot
to remove her.

He added that the governor was planning to influence the appointment
of some APC members in the state as INEC ad hoc employees with a view
to rigging the election in favour of the ruling party in the state.

"Jega should stay away from Rivers. We (PDP) are aware of the plan to
change the Rivers State REC. As I speak to you, Governor Amaechi has
paid Jega so that the APC can manipulate the governorship election in
the state.

"The plan is to remove the Rivers State REC and bring in a
card-carrying member of the APC to replace her. We will resist any
move to remove Gesila Khan. Rivers people will resist plan to remove
her," Nwanosike stressed.

However, the APC described the allegation against Amaechi and INEC as
laughable, explaining that it was not in the character of Amaechi to
bribe anybody to achieve a legitimate objective.

The State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Chris Finebone, told The
PUNCH that Jega remained an impeccable character that would never be
bribed by anybody.

Finebone described the call for the removal of the state REC as
legitimate and recalled that the state APC had raised the alarm in the
past that Khan had compromised on her duty to conduct a free and fair
election in Rivers State.

"All these allegations against Amaechi and INEC are laughable and
false. Nobody needs to bribe Jega or INEC before the state REC, who
has obviously compromised, is removed. We raised the alarm before the
election that the woman was partial, but nobody listened to us.

"On the allegation that Amaechi is planning to bribe Jega, the PDP in
the state should know that it takes two persons for a bribe to take
place, and the two persons mentioned are not interested in anything
called bribe.

"So, you will agree with me that the story of bribe is an afterthought
which must be disregarded by Rivers people and Nigerians. We (APC)
have said that the current REC iin Rivers must leave and we are
maintaining that," Finebone added.
--PUNCH