After Diri’s swearing-in, Oshiomhole continues to vibrate, replies Wike

In anger at a press conference on Friday evening after the swearing-in of Senator Duoye Diri in Yenagoa, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress APC insisted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) got it wrong giving the Certificate of Return to the Governor.
Reminiscent of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) outrage at losing Imo State to the APC at the Supreme Court, Oshiomhole lashed out at INEC: “If it were the intention of the Supreme Court to nullify or to declare the votes casted in favour of APC as wasted, the Supreme Court should have said so. INEC can not import into the judgement or delete anything into judgement. We have of course recognised that having now purported to have issued Certificate of Return to the PDP, we still believe that there are viable legal windows that we will explore.
“We still affirm our confidence in the judiciary even with the pains in our hearts because we still recognize that in a democracy we just can have judiciary that gives judgement that sometimes you are happy with and some other times you are not happy. What we quarrel with today is not the judgement of Supreme Court. What we got aggrieved is the attempt by INEC to constitute itself into a Court and appropriate judicial powers which the Constitution of Nigeria never vested in INEC.
“So we want to put the people of Nigeria on notice and in particular our people in Bayelsa to maintain the peace. We will however sustain the legal processes to ensure that nobody hides under any judicial power to impose minority votes in Bayelsa State. Democracy is a game of numbers. It could not have been the intention of the Supreme Court that the man who did not have the spread be sworn-in as a Governor. That was why the Supreme Court made that conditional provision and INEC came in now declared somebody that did not meet that condition.
“INEC itself is in contempt of the decision of the Supreme Court. We are going to do everything to deploy every legal means to upturn the imposition by INEC that intends to weaken and destroy the fabrics of democracy. Briefly put, we are going to Court and we will seek legal redress”
Turning to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, who cautioned him not to bring violence to the Niger Delta, following his (Oshiomhole’s) remarks On Thursday that no one will be sworn-in as Governor on Friday, the APC Chief said,
“Between me and my friend who has the history of violence. Don’t you know how many lives you have wasted, we have read on papers. Where was the police and military officers beheaded, it is in Rivers, who was the great winner of that election violence, was it not Wike. So if he the one talking about violence, when did the tortoise begin to challenge the antelope (to a) race.
“Governor Dickson, who accepted defeat in Bayelsa election accused him of anti-party activity and I know he wants to use me to regain his lost membership of PDP”.
Recall that Wike had on Thursday asked that Oshiomhole be called to order
“The Federal Government should warn Oshiomhole to stop making remarks that will destabilise Nigeria.
“What he is doing in Edo State is not proper and he should not bring it to the rest of the Niger Delta.
“Who is Oshiomhole to determine who has spread in a state? Supreme Court has made a ruling.  It is unfortunate for Oshiomhole to come forward to say that nobody will be sworn in….
“It is most unfortunate what Oshiomhole is doing because he wants to retain his position as National Chairman. APC Governors  have rejected him, that is why he is struggling to prove that he is fighting for the Party.
“He is making statements as if he owns the country.  This is the same way he is carrying on in Edo State fighting the Governor.
“He believes  that he has the forces to cause crisis. He is arrogating powers to himself,  which is not good “, he said.
Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Kate Abiri swoer-in Diri as the 5th civilian Governor of Bayelsa on Friday.