PDP stated that the officers were punished for defending their oath of office and job ethics by refusing to carry out the hatchet plans. The party, while describing the offence adduced against the officers as mere concoction and ruse, added that it is another valid pointer to the pre-election rigging plans and the assassination attempt on Governor Wike by the APC led administration before the December 10, 2016 Rerun Elections in Rivers State. Accusing the police of bias, Makarfi’s PDP alleged that that the leader of the police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Rivers State, Mr. Akin Fakorede, who was seen on television with his men openly hijacking election materials and intimidating voters and INEC officials during the Rerun elections, was working for the All Progressive Congress (APC). The police had on Friday a nounced the dismissal of six police officers attached to the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for disobedience. But according to a statement by the spokesman of the party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, “The hurried dismissal of these police men is another valid pointer to the pre-election rigging plans and the assassination attempt on Governor Wike by the APC led administration before theDecember 10, 2016 Rerun Elections in Rivers State. “It will be recalled that the Nigeria Police Force withdrew over 70 percent of its personnel deployed to Rivers State Government House and the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the Governor few days to the Elections. “It is obvious by this latest action that the APC led administration after the failed assassination attempt on Governor Wike, decided to punish the 6 police officers who defended their oath of office and job ethics by refusing to carry out the hatchet plans. “The accusation of ‘professional misconduct’ levelled against the officers who were only performing their constitutional duties by the Police hierarchy is a slap on the rule of law, ethical responsibility of police duties and the tenets of democratic values. This is unfair and highly condemnable as the accused officers were not even allowed to defend themselves before they were summarily dismissed which is against basic human rights. Change administration indeed! “This is unacceptable and the dismissed officers should be reinstated immediately in the interest of professionalism, justice, equity, and fair play. This call for their immediate re-instatement is equally in the interest of the Nigerian Police to save the bartered image of the Force. “Otherwise, this action will be further understood to mean that the Police surely has something to hide but instead played to the gallery with this contraption as a cover up to their hidden agenda and the atrocities committed by some of its men during the Rerun elections. “For instance, it is on record that the leader of the police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Rivers State, Mr. Akin Fakorede, was seen on television with his men openly hijacking election materials and intimidating voters and INEC officials during the Rerun elections. “It is instructive to note that the PDP, other well-meaning Nigerians and members of the international community are looking forward to the actions of the Ruling Party in redressing this brazen act of unprofessionalism, electoral malpractices and other misdemeanor of the Police Force and some other security agencies in the Rivers State elections of December 10, 2016. “To this end, we do hope and believe that the Police hierachy will take our advise seriously and reinstate the sacked officers to their various position and duty post and immediately put to trial Mr. Fakorede and his men seen committing electoral fraud in Rivers State,” it stated.]]>