Alas the day has come and gone and my opinions of the 2015 election still remain the same. The election was neither free nor fair nor credible.
But my opinion is not a Supreme Court judgement and in matters of law, a Supreme Court judgement is final. So whether we like it or not, Wike remains the Governor until 2019. We all must respect this. That however is not my overriding worry. To me a choice between PDP and APC is like a choice between ISIS and Assad. So I won’t loose any sleep.
No. My overriding worry is, it does appear (and we will have to see the full judgement), but it appears the card reader has been relegated to a nice to have and not a must have accessory for elections. This is a concern for me as it will dilute the integrity of the electoral process. No democrat should celebrate this. However it does seem that the bloodshed from a rerun can now be avoided and all true Rivers people, I’m sure will appreciate that.
The premature celebrations, the subtle but illegal campaigns and the frenzied decampings on the strength of a foregone conclusion showed an immaturity that must have especially insulted the court. I am sure the post mortem will reveal that APC underestimated them. We all did. But APC could not have afforded to. And not to this extent. I cannot help but feel all is not well within the APC. Once again, time will tell.
For me I intend to proceed with my life, refusing to align with either of them but willing to help any of them who wants to move my state and my country forward, in a way and manner that is genuine and in line with my ideals. I will remain interested in the welfare of Rivers people and I will never quit politics. But one must remain productive. For instance on the 4th of February, I will finally be screening my much anticipated film (76) for the first time for a private audience in Lagos.
From Prince Tonye Princewill
