Ahead of the Saturday’s presidential and national assembly election, Riverine Ijaw Communities have called on the International Community to hold General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Jamil Sarham and the Commander State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) ACP. Akin Victor Fakorede responsible for any violence during the Presidential and National Assembly elections in Rivers State on Saturday.
In a press conference on Thursday in Port Harcourt, Leader of the Riverine Ijaw Communities and Former Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Engr Tele Ikuru stated the two officers are working with the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to unleash violence on Rivers State.
In the Press Conference was titled: “THE PLAN BY THE GENERAL OFFICER COMMANDING 6 DIVISION, NIGERIA ARMY, MAJOR GENERAL JAMIL SARHAM AND THE COMMANDER STATE ANTI-ROBBERY SQUAD (SARS) ACP. AKIN FAKOREDE TO RIG THE GENEREAL ELECTIONS IN THE RIVERINE COMMUNITIES OF RIVERS STATE”, Ikuru who was Amaechi’s deputy stated that: “Confirmed reports also show that Major General Sarham and ACP Akin Fakorede have pencilled for arrest and detain the Council and Party Chairmen of all the eight Local Government Councils and other principal PDP leaders in our communities until after the Presidential election.
“ACP Akin Fakorede is not new to playing such ignoble roles in Rivers State elections. He did it in 2016 against the PDP during the National and State House of Assembly re-run elections and was accordingly indicted by INEC for his criminal actions. ACP Akin Fakorede who was posted along with others for election duties to Yobe State has now been surreptitiously returned to Rivers State despite his infamous antecedent as an unrepentant election rigger.
“As the facts have shown Major General Sarham and Mr. Akin Fakorede are openly sympathetic to the APC and pathologically biased against the PDP”.
Engr Tele Ikuru added: “Indeed, we forced to conclude that they are card-carrying members of the APC and, therefore, are not and cannot be expected to be neutral in the discharge of election duties in which their party, the APC is directly involved
“The fact that we are a peaceful people is not in doubt and we do not want anything to upset the prevailing peace and sense of security in our communities and Local Government Areas.
“We are therefore happy with the promise by INEC to ensure that the 2019 general elections are peaceful, free, fair and credible. But it is becoming increasingly difficult for us or anybody else to believe that this promise would stand with the evolving partisan disposition and involvement of the military and the police in the administration of the elections in Rivers State.
“We are constrained therefore to call on the international community, especially the United States, Britain and the European Union to bring to bear, maximum pressure on INEC and the Federal Government to allow peaceful, free, fair and credible elections in our communities”.
The Riverine Ijaw Communities said the purpose of the press conference is to draw the attention of Nigerians and the international community to the evolving plan by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division of the Nigerian Army Major General Jamil Sarham and the Commander State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) ACP. Akin Victor Fakorede to destabilize, rig and abort the peaceful conduct of the 2019 elections in the riverine communities of Rivers State.
He said: ” As we all know the Presidential and National Assembly elections have been rescheduled to take place nationwide on the 23rd of February 2019 while the 9th of March 2019 is for the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections.
“The All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have repeatedly promised to ensure that these elections peaceful will be free, fair and credible.
“However, while we are committed to the success of these elections, some senior security officers, particularly, the above named duo are constituting serious stumbling block to the realization of this exercise in our riverine communities of Rivers State. As security officers we expected General Sarham and Mr Akin Fakorede to be neutral, honest and fair in the discharge of their election duties to the nation.
“This is not the case as both men have profoundly signed on to the evolving plan by the Amaechi-led APC to destabilize, rig and scuttle the peaceful conduct of the elections”.
