Skip to main content

Why I Wanted Wike Out Of Rivers – Doyin Okupe, Ex Jonathan’s Aide


Dr. Doyin Okupe, a former senior aide to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Tuesday morning explained why he wanted Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike as well as Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi out of the state in any subsequent election rerun exercise.

Okupe, who was also Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to Jonathan had said that Wike and Amaechi, who was the governor of the state, as well as their loyalists be moved out because of the level of violence that marred Saturday’s election rerun in Rivers into the state House of Assembly and the National Assembly.

He also demanded the prosecution of all those involved in the violence that claimed up to 10 lives including that of a member of the National Youth Service Corps.

But Okupe’s suggestion did not go down well with some Nigerians who condemned his position on social media, forcing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain to clear the air on what his intentions were.

“I have seen and read many responses to my post on violence accompanying our elector*l process. This is the beautiful part of the social media. It is interactive.

“It is interesting that most of the comments have nothing to do with the killings and loss of lives involved in this mayhem. It will appear that we have come to accept killings and thuggery as part of our national life.

“As Dele Giwa said: ‘nothing shocks us as Nigerians again’. But this ought not to be so.

“For me, I was particularly overwhelmed by the killings and especially the death of the innocent and young ‘youth corper’, just trying to serve his country. I felt highly repulsed and too deeply pained.

“Regrettably, I really did not consider the legal and mor*l implications of actually moving a state governor out of the state. I truly never intended to undermine the mandate of the rivers people freely given to Governor Wike. I am truly sorry about that.

“My thoughts were mainly focused on what we must do to avert this unnecessary and wanton bloodshed and deaths following our elections nationwide,” he said in a reaction to comments by some Nigerians to his earlier position.

Okupe said he had watched the American presidential primaries in the various states and caucuses and had never seen any police officer close to the various venues even though there must be a winner and a loser.

“Nigeria and Nigerians must move away from this derogatory barbarism and move along with the rest of the civilized world.
“If the violence that marred our elector*l process in 1966 is still very prevalent in our elections in 2016, then there is something seriously wrong with Nigeria and the way we are and the earlier we all address this the better for us all,” he added.

In the earlier post, Okupe had indicted Wike, who is his party man, Amaechi, a former ally and now a member of the All Progressives Congress, the Independent National Elector*l Commission and the security agents for the level of violence that scaled the election rerun.

He also demanded a stop to the use of NYSC members for elections especially in volatile areas of the country.

“All principal participants must accept responsibility for this intolerable acts of savagery. By all principals I mean the PDP, APC and their leaderships, the INEC, and the entire gamut of our security agencies.
“In 2016, the wanton destruction of lives and properties that accompany our elections in varying degrees is no longer excusable.

“The frequent deaths of citizens, elector*l officials, members of the security forces has assumed highly barbaric proportions. Of particular importance is the reported death of innocent Youth corpers.

“As a Nigerian parent whose children will still go through this national calling, I cease this opportunity to call on other Nigerian parents and well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on INEC to stop with immediate effect the deployment of our children for elector*l services.

“We can no longer bear the pain of losing our wards to mindless acts of lawlessness by thugs and hooligans acting for and on behalf of reckless, desperate and irresponsible politicians and power mongers.

INEC stands accused in all this dastardly developments. Before going into an election in any volatile area, they ought to obtain full security reports of the area in question and also confer with the police and the army to get written assurance that they can guarantee the security of elector*l materials and officers.

He wondered why INEC would still be involved in the movement of elector*l materials on election day rather than do this two weeks before the election in company of security agents.

He also suggested that in special volatile areas like Rivers and others as to be advised by police and the intelligence agencies, a minimum of five armed personnels per polling station with availability of standby re-enforcement in each Local Government Area should be considered.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Nollywood Actor, Yemi Solade Compares Cynthia Morgan to a Cow

Yoruba Actor,  Yemi Solade  yesterday took to his instagram shade to throw a heavy subtle shade at Dancehall artiste –  Cynthia Morgan . He posted a side by side picture of Cynthia Morgan with a Cow and captioned it  “COWsquare” . He was referring to the fact that Cynthia’s had a nose ring on in the picture…same as the cow. His reasons and intentions for pulling this is unknown, but Yemi claims he never knew Cynthia Morgan was an Entertainer. He has since deleted the post from instagram and has refused to apologize…instead he is battling a blog on instagram who first reported the story. Fans are saying he should just apologize and move on.

Spiritual Uses Of Garlic That Will Leave You Totally Shocked!

7 Facts About Garlic That Will Shock You! Surely, the saying which says “Let food be thy medicine”, knew beforehand the unknown great benefits of garlic, a specie in the onion genus, Allium. Aside being a taste enhancer for recipes, garlic, which has been around for quite a while is of unbelievable benefits. While some countries believe garlic can be used to ward off vampires and evil spirits, it has been classified among the world healthiest food. With a history of human use of over 7,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent seasoning in Asia, Africa, and Europe. It was known to Ancient Egyptians, and has been used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. In fact this wonder food has more uses than you can think of, and some really interesting ones. 1 . Garlic has been used over the years to make evil spirits and vampires run away. It is said to be the flag-

Hahaha! Read Hilarious Open Letter To Coca-Cola By An Angry Consumer

Hahaha, Mehn! Some people dey para oh!!! The ongoing Coca-Cola “Share A Coke” campaign has really gotten loads of consumers worked up as they are yet to find their names on a Coca-Cola bottle. Consumers including @dj_staffy who wrote an open letter to them on their Instagram page. It’s hilarious! The dude is really pained. LOL Read below: AN OPEN LETTER TO COCA COLA ! The MD/CEO Coca Cola Nigeria and Worldwide Sir/Madam Let me start by saying a ‘Big kudos’ to your company for a fantastic idea, “Share A Coke”. It’s indeed an awesome innovation! But then let me quickly bring to your notice that following the wonderful strategy of share a coke, collect a coke or buy a coke, whatever name you call it. Where someone’s name is written on the (plastic) Coke bottle or Can. I have noticed with total dismay that ‘Nobody Has Shared or Bought any form or shape of Coke for me’! And this is because, according to my little research, your company hasn’t deemed it fit to include my name, Avalon,