The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed claims in some quarters that it is desperate to take over control of the state at all cost in connivance with the APC-controlled Federal Government, insisting that the reverse is the case.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Federal Government has no hand whatsoever in the cases we are pursuing at the Governorship, National and State Houses of Assembly Tribunals across the State. It has become necessary for us to clear the air before this wicked lie being spread by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) takes root,” Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said in a statement issued yoday in Port Harcourt.

The questions that arise, according to the party, are: “Was there any election in Rivers State? If there was, was it conducted according to the rules? The European Community and other International Observers that condemned the conduct of the elections, are they APC members? The security agents that told the Tribunal that the election was a sham, are they APC members? The respected jurists of the Supreme Court who threw away Wike’s infantile application to stop the Governorship Petition Election Tribunal, are they APC members?”

Rivers APC accused the State PDP of suffering from a guilty conscience on account of its well known connivance with the then PDP-led Federal Government under the watch of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to brazenly persecute APC and forcibly take over Rivers State. “Is PDP forgetting so soon how it used Federal Government machinery to its advantage, throwing caution to the wind? Has it forgotten how impunity thrived under Jonathan to the point that Wike and the PDP became lords of the manor, using Police Commissioner Joseph Mbu, Patience Jonathan and Wike himself to intimidate and overawe the law-abiding APC?” the statement asked.

Rivers APC, however, assured that, unlike PDP, “We are a civilised group and we will continue to pursue our case before the courts because litigation is part of the electoral process. God helping us, we shall triumph in Jesus’ name. By the grace of God, we shall be vindicated, if for nothing, at least for the sake of the over 100 APC members that were killed to install Wike as Care-Taker Governor of River State.”

It advised Wike to stop wasting the Rivers State scarce funds sponsoring some idle groups in the state to protest against the sound judgement of the tribunal annulling his obviously fraudulent election. “We know he has no agenda for the emancipation or development of Rivers State but he can keep himself busy by either writing a handover note or preparing how to face the Rivers State people in a free and fair election devoid of intimidation and killing of innocent Rivers people,” the party said.

•Photo shows Ikanya.