INEC committee’s visit a waste, says APC group Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has stated that there was no ambiguity from the results so far released in the March 9, 2019 governorship and state Assembly elections, as Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has been duly re-elected for a second term.
This is coming as a good governance advocacy group, the Rivers Unity House, (RUH) has said the visit of the fact-finding committee of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the state following the suspension of the gubernatorial election in the state was a waste.
PDP, at a press conference addressed by state Chairman, Felix Obuah, at the PDP Secretariat in Port Harcourt, urged the INEC to declare Wike winner of the election, adding that the results from all polling units and constituencies where elections were concluded have confirmed and reaffirmed that Rivers people voted for no other party but the PDP.
Obuah said with 26 state constituencies already declared in favour of the PDP, there was no iota of doubt that Wike has been re-elected by the people of Rivers State.
He expressed confidence that from the results so far declared at the units across the state, the remaining PDP candidates, including Wike, Senator George Sekibo and Hon. Betty Apiafi would also be elected on the strength of the peoples’ votes.
Giving a summary of the results so far released by INEC, the State PDP Chairman said while PDP garnered a total of 26 seats in the State House of Assembly election, AAC/APC got none. Again, at the National Assembly election, while PDP won a total of 14 seats, AAC/APC recorded zero.
“As we await the official declaration by INEC that our governorship candidate, Wike has been duly re-elected in line with the peoples’ votes and overwhelming wishes, I urge the people of Rivers State to remain vigilant and continue to support our party,” Obuah said.
He went on: “The victories of February 23 and March 9, 2019 are victories for all Rivers people. By voting massively for PDP, Rivers people chose freedom, performance and merit over political gangsterism, impudence and impunity.
“You courageously stood your ground despite the arrests, harassment, violence and horrific onslaught on our democratic rights by the combined gang of renegade soldiers and F-SARS personnel. I want to assure the people of Rivers State that PDP will not
He urged the people of the state to remain vigilant and continue to support the PDP, as the official declaration by INEC that Wike has been duly re-elected in line with the peoples’ votes, is being awaited.
Meanwhile, a good governance advocacy group, RUH has said the visit of the fact-finding committee of INEC to the state following the suspension of the gubernatorial election in the state was a waste. Convener of RUH, an advocacy group within the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kingsley Wenenda Wali, spoke yesterday at a live radio programme monitored in Port Harcourt. He said the visit of the committee was a waste of time and resources.
Wali said: “I don’t feel comfortable discussing INEC. Let’s say I doubt if INEC is fair. I doubt that very much. They brought themselves into the playing field as active participants but because as a civil servant, I believe that the kind of things should be saying should stoke flame or fire as it were. There are certain things you shouldn’t do as a civil servant but INEC is saying all of that.
“What is all these about the fact-finding committee? They have the DSS, which is part of the electoral process. What report can’t you get from the DSS? Why sending people to come to Port Harcourt to do what?
“Unless you are saying that the DSS is also compromised; that the army is compromised and the Police is compromised and the only people that are not compromised is INEC. I find that very ridiculous to believe.”
