The reaction came via a statement signed by David Iyofor, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Amaechi on Sunday.
Below is the full text of the statement obtained by The Anchor:
"Over the weekend the media was awash with reports of a fresh sinister plot to throw Rivers State into avoidable crisis.
According to the reports as they concern Rivers State, the new commissioner of police Dan Bature, has been directed by the Presidency to install a certain Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial aspirant (believed to be Nyesom Wike) as governor in the 2015 elections.
The PUNCH and THE NATION went further to reveal that the new Rivers Police Commissioner has been instructed by the Presidency (both papers mentioned the First Lady) to use the former Rivers police commissioner, Joseph Mbu’s draconian style and tactics in causing crisis in Rivers State. He is to tackle Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, his supporters and Rivers people and then install the preferred candidate as governor. THE NATION fingered the Presidency (again, the First Lady) in Bature’s deployment to Rivers State for the purpose of executing this toxic script.
While it is easy for a few in the Presidency to dismiss these reports, we in Rivers State, with the benefit of hindsight and our collective recent bitter experience in the hands of former Police Commissioner Joseph Mbu who was also reported to have a similar mandate, cannot.
Therefore, we would want to state that:
1. The people of Rivers State will strongly and bravely resist any attempt by anyone or institutions, including The Presidency, to unconstitutionally install the preferred PDP aspirant as Governor of the State, now or in the 2015 election.
2. There is no provision in the Nigerian Constitution and laws for the ‘installation’ of a preferred aspirant as governor of a state by The Presidency. What our laws prescribe is a free and fair election that must be devoid of police and security forces coercion, harassment and intimidation of voters.
3. Rivers voters must be allow to and will freely choose and elect their governor in the 2015 elections. It is their inalienable democratic right that they will not and will never surrender to anyone or institution, including The Presidency.
4. We must warn that the looming danger ahead for our polity and our country is indeed ominous, if this noxious script is acted out. This is an avoidable crisis that must be avoided by all parties mentioned in the reports.
5. Again, we congratulate and welcome the new Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Dan Bature. We expect and hope that he would act professionally and would firmly resist any external influences and pressure to be politically biased and partisan in the discharge of his duties to Rivers people as the police chief. We pray that God and his conscience guide him to do only what is constitutional, lawful, right, just and fair in the policing of Rivers State.
We assure Rivers people that we will remain vigilant as we head towards the 2015 elections".
DAVID IYOFOR
Chief Press Secretary To the Rivers State Governor
September 14, 2014.
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