Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, has alleged that the federal government is plotting to set him up for arms trafficking.
Speaking on Sunday during a thanksgiving service in honour of Azubuike Nmerukini, chairman of the state local government service commission, the governor claimed that the All Progressive Congress (APC) is in talks with a Lebanese national who has been asked to say that Wike paid him to acquire ammunition.
“The federal government has arranged with a Lebanese to say that I told him to buy arms for the purpose of the forthcoming elections,” Wike said.
“I am not close to any Lebanese, let alone give money to anyone to buy arms for elections. We have dutifully served our people and we don’t need to purchase arms for elections.
“If elections are held 20,000 times, we will win because our projects have positively impacted the lives of our people.”
Wike said as part of their plot, government is scheming to foment crisis in the Rivers state through rigging so that the state’s elections would be postponed in 2019.
“They plan to cause so much crisis in the state so that Rivers election is held on a separate date. Their plot will fail. Rivers election will hold same day with that of other states,” he said.
According to him, most of the kidnappings and armed robbery in the state are masterminded by SARS operatives under the leadership of Akin Fakorede, SARS commander, who controls an eight-man gang”.
Wike said that he is alerting Nigerians because the police high command will “sweep the matter under the carpet.”