No 2019 election in Rivers State, Governor warns

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has alleged that there is a sinister plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to deliberately disrupt the 2019 general elections in the state with the aide of security operatives.

In a recent interview with Premium Times, published on Monday, September 10, 2018, the governor said the current government has hatched a plot to postpone the election by using security agencies to cause crisis.

He said, "As far as 2019 is concerned, there will be no election. The security agencies will help them to shoot guns and cause crisis in the entire state and then they will postpone the elections. When they postpone the elections, then on a subsequent date they will now bring out all the agencies for the elections.

"We have people inside the system who are also working with them who also let us know their plans. And it has been happening, the recent bye-election in Port Harcourt showed it.

"I told my people not to do anything, they should allow them to show what is in their heart, and they did by coming with criminals, and SARS wearing their uniform and protecting them while they carted away election materials.

"One of the three INEC resident electoral commissioners, the one from Akwa Ibom state, sent to help conduct the election, said he saw it with his eyes and could not believe it. That in this our time, security agencies would lead people to cart away election materials.

"Tell Mr President, he has told the world he is going to conduct free, fair and credible elections in 2019, but that his security agencies are planning to disrupt the elections in Rivers state."

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) suspended the by-election for the Port Harcourt Constituency lll State Assembly seat held on August 18 citing widespread violence as reasons for the suspension.

Armed thugs caused chaos in polling units in Ward 10 during the election, with the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC trading blames for the violence.

FG trying to kill me - Wike

During the interview, Wike also claimed that the government is ready to kill him and several other Nigerians to cheat in the 2019 general elections. He said he's ready to make the sacrifice, calling the government "a dictatorship in civilian uniform".

"I have told my wife and children, this is where we have found ourselves. This is a bloodthirsty government," he said.