Right from the very beginning, the Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC ) and their key stakeholders enjoyed the brief ill – conferred advantages of deliberate falsehood. On a regular basis, the Rivers APC in liaison with their paid media partners fabricates all manners of reports with the aim of misleading unsuspecting members of the public.
As the last general elections drew near, they fabricated several unfounded opinion polls claiming that Rivers State was too close to call and it would be difficult for a clear cut winner to emerge. These false election polls circulated by the Media partners of Rivers APC. These false reports were targeted at some persons living outside the state who were misled to believe that the APC and her stakeholders had foothold on Rivers State.
As they say, the rest is now history. The elections have come and gone. The true capacity of Rivers State APC has been laid bare for the entire world to see. But expectedly, these chaps are not tired of fabricating falsehood. Their very existence and relevance in the APC rest on falsehood, hence they continue to manufacture more of the destructive tales circulated by their media agents.
This time, they have resolved to rope in the Judiciary as it has dawned on them that their game is up. The latest series of mindless interpretations that they have sponsored through their media partners on the visits of Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike to the office of the Chief Justice of the Federation with a view to ensuring the reappointment of the State Acting Chief Judge, Justice Daisy Okocha and the State Acting President, Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Christy Gabriel Nwankwo. Mind you, the governor never met the CJF and had to formally write the CJF to seek approval to his request which is in the interest of the state. If former Rivers State Governor and APC chieftain had acted constitutionally whilst in office, the need to consolidate on the gains of Wike’s revival of the Judiciary wouldn’t have arisen.
The ugly interpretations given by the media partners of the Rivers State APC to the visits were deliberately orchestrated for the defeated APC to do further mischief in the future.
This is similar to the fabrication of a non existent judgment of the National Industrial Court by their defeated Governorship candidate, Mr Dakuku Peterside. Even after the falsehood of the fabricated National Industrial Court judgment was made public by the court and the Rivers State Attorney-General, Rivers State APC has continued to play up the same issue using their media partners. They are never tired of lies, irrespective of how many times they are caught in the act.
This latest act of desperation by Rivers State APC and their media partners prove beyond any doubt that they lost the last free and fair governorship election conducted in the state.
At first, they claimed that within days, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike would be sacked by the tribunal, as if the tribunal was their personal property. Now, that it has become clear that they have no case at the tribunal against the people ordained governor, they have returned to their trenches of lies.
Having lost at the polls, following the abysmal performance of Rivers State APC’S leader, Mr Rotimi Amaechi who basked in corruption and mass looting of state resources, the defeated political party has been disillusioned by Wike’s superlative performance since taking over the reins of governance. They have been heartbroken by the several bold initiatives of Governor Wike to reposition Rivers State.
They are worried that the people of Rivers State are now comfortable with the pace of numerous development projects and the security they enjoy. They are scared by the fact that Wike is on the streets daily to complete projects they abandoned. They are afraid that despite their propaganda, Rivers State has become a destination of choice under Governor Wike, hosting countless national conferences, international football match and innumerable investors visiting the governor on daily basis to partner with the state government to deliver development to the people.
The Rivers State APC must understand that their sponsorship of deliberate falsehood cannot alter the positive developments in Rivers State. They tried same all through the electioneering campaign, but failed woefully. Nothing will change this time around.
That they find sadistic pleasure in fabricating lies and misleading interpretations of events speak volumes about the calibre of persons who make up that party in Rivers State.
Governor Wike remains focused to deliver on his campaign promises to the people of the state. He entered into a covenant with them to make them happy after years of failed governance by the Rivers APC leader, Rotimi Amaechi. Governor Wike, known for his integrity and commitment to the development of Rivers State, is keeping his own side of the bargain. After all, Rivers people kept theirs on April 11.
The Rivers APC should come to terms with the fact that the period of campaign is over. Since they find it difficult to cooperate with the victor, they should at least reduce the level at which they churn out falsehood. Living on falsehood is a despicable mode of existence. It is worse when stolen state resources are deployed by misguided elements to sponsor media misrepresentation aimed at causing conflict in the society and destroying hard earned reputations.
The leader of Rivers State APC, Mr Rotimi Amaechi and his defeated political godson, Dakuku Peterside should for once tow the path of honour by calling their media partners to order. If they failed when they had the control of Federal troops, the police and other security agencies as Amaechi boasted few days to the April 11 governorship election, they will fail again and again.
For those who have constituted themselves as conduits through which the Rivers APC falsehood is circulated to overheat the polity, the benefits of filthy lucre can only be temporal. Every Nigerian must at all times, consider the progress of the nation.
Written by Simeon Nwakaudu.
