The judiciary has been charged to uphold Justice and encourage forthrightness by disqualifying the Governor of Rivers state, Chief Nyesom Wike, from contesting the State’s governorship election.
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State and Governor Nyesom Wike’s ally, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, who gave the charge to judiciary said he made the call based on the reason of the alleged forgery and falsification of age by the Governor as well as the attendant crime of perjury involved as the Governor had lied to the State and its people about his age.
Chief Eze one time National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New PDP (nPDP) noted further that the allegation of forgery had come out at this time as a divine intervention, which is aimed at saving the law abiding citizens of the State from the needless bloodshed and the deliberate physical and economic development failure the tenure of Chief Wike as Governor had foisted on the State.
According to him, God had chosen this time to expose the Governor’s alleged age fraud so that he could be stopped from further inflicting the State with backwardness, saying “it was when Governor Wike forcefully took the reins of administration in Rivers state that all positive developments went into limbo. God wants to restart the wheel of progress in the state with a man of vision like Pastor Tonye Cole, who will start where His Excellency, Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi left off”.
Commenting on the age declaration forgery saga involving the Governor, Eze said “we have read several birthday messages from both his family members, political associates etc celebrating his birthday on 13th December while the documents he presented to INEC and some educational Institutions on oath indicates that he was actually born on March 13, 1963 and not December, 13th 1968 as he makes the world to believe. Sadly, as if he is not contented with being born on two different days the great Google on the other hand claims that Governor Wike was born on 24th August, 1967.
“According to the age declaration sworn to by his older brother, Chief Collins Wike and Clergy father and presented to INEC and some educational Institutions, Governor Wike is said to be born on March 13, 1963. But even that date on the affidavit was tampered with, using a pen instead of a typewriter.This date contradicts the new age of 13th December, 1968 and the Google date of 24th August, 1967. Documents he submitted to INEC when he ran for the governorship in 2015 indicated he was born on March 13 1963. This provides an uncomplicated indication that Mr. Wike turned 54 in March 2017, not 50 on December 13 2017.
“A detailed examination of the affidavit also revealed another falsehood. The said Collins Wike claimed that he was a resident of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area at the time he swore to the affidavit. However, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area was not created until May 3 1989, a glaring evidence that the affidavit was fake.
“Annoyingly, the year the affidavit was sworn to was also the year Mr. Wike claimed to have obtained his West African Examination Certificate. This means he was 22 when he sat for the secondary school leaving examination, something many observers consider very unusual, as most people at the time completed secondary education between the ages of 16 and 18.
“In view of the principle of the APC Administration of not condoning illegality and corruption amongst government officials coupled with the fact that INEC and relevant government security agencies including the judiciary can’t allow such a character to continue to misgovern a State like Rivers state”, he said.
The APC chieftain also commended Achinike William-Wobodo Esq an electorate in Rivers State, who has decided to assist the State by instituting the case of forgery and perjury against the Governor and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the Federal High Court in Abuja and counselled him not to be deterred or intimidated by the antics of the Governor on his chosen stand to free Rivers State from the embarrassment that Governor Wike has turned Rivers State into.
