Rivers Election Tribunal: Witnesses Are Lying ‘I Did Not Bribe Chairman With N200m -Wike’

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (2nd right), being received by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State (middle), his Deputy, Dr (Mrs) Ipalibo Harry Banigo (2nd left), during the Vice President’s visit to the State, recently.

The Rivers state Government has dismissed the testimonies of some witnesses that have appeared before the Rivers Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
The state Government in a statement signed by Opunabo Inko-Tariah, the Special Adviser on Media to Governor Nyesom Wike took a swipe at the military personnel that discredited the elections in the state.
The state government also downplayed the testimony of the Senior INEC Official, Charles Okoye who also claimed the elections were marred by violence and intimidation.
Inko-Tariah said all the testimonies so far were in contradiction to the facts before the Justice Ambrosa-led Tribunal.
He accused the Army of playing the script of the petitioner, the All Progressives Congress, adding that the military men “merely lied on oath”.
The statement reads, “the news making the rounds that an INEC staff at the ongoing Governorship Election Tribunal for Rivers state, gave testimonies confirming alleged irregularities, violence and ballot box snatching is entirely meaningless and of no consequence to the substance of the matters at the Tribunal.
“Although this should not ordinarily be an issue for media debate, being a matter before a Tribunal, it is important to straighten the records for public information to the effect all that all the bogus claims by the busybody INEC staff represented were not only entirely scripted but dead on arrival.
“This is because INEC itself which is his employer and a key defendant in the matter at the Tribunal had conducted an independent investigation into the alleged malpractices and purported violence in Rivers state through three national Commissioners assigned for that purpose and they respectively reported that elections in the state were free, fair and credible and that it was indeed the APC that fermented trouble during the elections in Rivers state.
“It is important to note however that it was the then INEC Chairman Prof. Atahiru Jega who read out this report on national Television and abroad in various fora, thus revalidating the election of Nyesom Wike as Governor of Rivers state.
“It should also be recalled that the Tribunal under the current Chairman, Justice Ambrose, in his recent ruling, struck out paragraphs touching on electoral violence and parties mentioned in the petition who are not before the Tribunal, thus rendering the petition against Governor Wike almost useless and very weak.
“Counsel to Governor Wike Adedipe SAN had confirmed that the testimony by the said witness contradicts that of INEC since he claimed he monitored elections in several parts of the state, although he gave testimony not in his capacity as an INEC staff, thus raising questions around his locus to testify if not speaking the mind of INEC which he claims he works for.
“However, it will be more responsible for the Tribunal to be allowed to give its judgement on the matters before it, even though the APC has now suddenly realized that it has no case and continuous rumour mongering will not be in their interest.
On the Soldier’s, Wike said, “Truth is one thing that remains incontrovertible. Malice, hatred or ignorance may deride or distort it but it still remains .
“The testimony at the Rivers state Governorship Election Tribunal by an Army Captain to the effect that there was no election in Rivers state is a testimony of falsehood completely devoid of merit.
“It follows that the army was never involved in the election process and so can not be taken seriously.
“It is therefore pertinent to ask the following questions:
“Was the Army an election monitoring agent?
“Did the army do any report in the purported electoral Violence in Rivers state or was all of these an afterthought just to score cheap points?
“Who were those that instigated the so-called violence and what has become of them if any?
“The crucial point to note here is that suborn witnessing does not translate into victory for APC. I glean from the captain’s testimony a veiled compromising bias.
Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor has denied reports by Sahara Reporters, accusing  him of of bribing the former Chairman of the Tribunal hearing the Rivers state Governorship Election Petition, Justice Mu’azu Pindiga with 200 Hundred Millioin Naira, thus leading to his replacement by the President of the Court of Appeal Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa,based on a purported finding by the DSS, is not only false but most unfortunate and reckless.
The Governor made this known via a statement released on his behalf by his Senior Special Assistant and Publicity Mr.Opunabo Inko-Taria and made available to newsmen,the governor berated Sahara Reporters over the reports which has increased suspicion in some quaters over the independent of the Judiciary.
“It is the height of unproffessional reportage which is not only politically sponsored but aimed at defaming the person and the the respected office of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Rivers state and Rivers people in general.
It is also important to note that such toxic reportage as lacking in facts and evidence, other than fabricated hearsay from fictitious sources, will not be tollerated as Sahara Reporters risk possible litigation from the Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike who has remained resolute in seeking redress in courts and the rule of Law other than doing the contrary. their claim that he purportedly transferred the said amount through his lawyers is also untrue as there was no such transaction and will never be.
However, the report by this unruly so-called media platform, Sahara Reporters whose stock in trade and product for sale are blackmails and propaganda against responsible Nigeria, have along with their sponsors conveyed a message that they lack confidence in the Nigerian Judiciary and Judicial officers particularly when it stated in the said report that Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa is known for bribery and corruption. This again is regrettable as it has lost every sense of decorum and thrown caution to the wind by dragging such a highly reverred judicial officer to its arena of gossip and character assasination.
Sahara Reporters is put to the strictest proof of this baseless and unfounded allegation.
His Excellency Nyesom Wike, known for his uprightness being a Lawyer himself, and a prudent manager of resources as shown in his dogged fight against corruption has continued to triumph over every attempt to damage his hard earned reputation. No amount of these cheap and petty blackmails and circulation of patent falsehood will deter him from uncompromisingly sticking to truth.