The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has told the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, he will not leave Edo State before the election holding later today.
Recall that Wike was laid siege in a his hotel in Benin City by the police, restricting his movement ahead of the governorship elections in the state.
The governor, who spoke to Channels TV says he is in the state to monitor the election on behalf of his party and insists he won’t leave the state.
He said, “As the Chairman of the National Campaign Council (of the PDP), I came in here with some of my colleagues; I was in the hotel. Around 2 o’clock in the afternoon, the IG (Inspector General of Police) called.
“I think they called my orderly; I don’t know how they got his number and then I spoke with the IG and he said I must leave Edo State. I said ‘for what?’ He said because my being here may cause a crisis. I said how will it cause crisis?
He said because I made a statement that is inflammatory. I said ‘which statement did I make? That we should be extra vigilant? That people should protect their votes?’ So, ‘what is the inflammatory statement I made?’”.
Maintaining that he had done no wrong, the governor told the IGP, he won’t leave the state.
According to him, about 10 minutes after he refused to leave the state, over 300 policemen had surrounded his hotel.
Governor Wike said regardless of the siege, he won’t leave the state because he is Chairman of the PDP national campaign council and is not the only governor in Edo for the election.
“The governor of Kano is here, the governor of Imo is here, the Deputy Senate President is here,” he said. “So why will you tell me to leave?” .