The Truncated Port Harcourt State Constituency Three Bye-Election has vindicated Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. There’s no way that the APC can win a credible election in Rivers State.
True to the declaration of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Mike Igini what took place was tragic and shameful. It belittled us as decent humans. It reduced Nigeria’s democratic credentials.
On the tragic actions of Ojukaye Flag Amachree, the Akwa Ibom Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Mike Igini declared:
“But the question, that we cannot answer, on this part, is that how do you explain a situation where individuals going about with a platoon of security agents of different agencies, moving round unhindered, from polling station to polling station. Why were they not arrested? Why were they not accosted? What happened is a tragedy; is shameful! As I said, it represents the lowest level of electoral discredit”.
Like the Akwa Ibom REC said, we must begin to ask questions on what transpired during the Bye-Election.
First, what was the Factional Chairman of Rivers APC, Mr Ojukaye Flag Amachree doing at the polling stations of Port Harcourt State Constituency Three when he is a registered voter in Asari-Toru Local Government Area?
Rivers APC via its official twitter handle claimed that Ojukaye Flag Amachree was bred in Diobu, hence he had the right to invade Port Harcourt State Constituency Three with deadly operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Inspector General of Police Crack Squad and Armed Thugs. This is warped reasoning to say the least.
This ignoble collaboration between the Police and the APC was predicted by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike in his pre-election broadcast of Friday, August 17, 2018.
Governor revealed: “We have it on good authority that some failed politicians are planning to use cultists and political thugs to intimidate voters and attempt to disrupt the voting process.”
The fact that the Factional Chairman of the Rivers APC, Ojukaye Flag Amachree was allocated hundreds of SARs Personnel and Soldiers are proofs that the anti-Rivers operation has the backing of the APC Federal Government. Ojukaye’s defence of the indicted SARS Commander, Akin Fakorede confirms their partnership for evil.
The violence unleashed on Port Harcourt State Constituency Three by the APC and sections of the Nigerian Police is most unfortunate. This is the height of political rascality and reckless use of sections of the police to steal the mandate of the people.
Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Obo Effanga captured APC and Police Electoral Criminality in these words:
“While elections were going on, there was violence across significant portions of the constituency, such that we cannot in good conscience go ahead and do anything beyond that. Even when elections were supposedly over, it was difficult to access the collation centre.
“Some of our personnel were beaten up, some of them were held up at different locations while the elections were going on. The commission looked at it and said no, this was not an election going on. This fell below the standard of credible elections. ”
Aside Ojukaye, the defeated Rivers State APC Governorship Candidate for 2015, Dakuku Peterside was sighted at the constituency, carrying out anti-Rivers electoral activities. Former House of Representatives Member and Serving Commissioner in Rivers State, Mr Chinyere Igwe declared that he saw both of them. He even confronted the Factional Rivers State APC Chairman.
Videos and pictures from different sources showed the mass movement of SARs Personnel and policemen in unfortunate anti-election positions. There were pictures and videos of Ojukaye Flag Amachree illegally moving around on election day.
It is on record that the Factional Chairman of the APC was arrested and released , his vehicles impounded and handed over to the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations at the Rivers State Command as exhibits. Nobody expects the police to act on the information and exhibits available to it because her siamese twin is involved in this degrading electoral theft.
Due to the extreme violence deployed by the Police and the APC on Saturday, 18th August, 2018, elections were concluded in only 41 Polling Units , while in 101 Polling Units elections were disrupted by Police and the APC.
The position of INEC colloborates Governor Wike’s State Broadcast after the failed election.
He said: “It is equally important to note that Ojukaye Flag Amachree and his thugs easily overran the entire constituency with the active protection and guidance of heavily armed Police operatives from the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS) and the Inspector General of Police’s Monitoring Unit.
“Consequently, the thugs and their police accomplices successfully disrupted the bye-election in virtually all the 142 polling units across the 8 wards of the Constituency and caused bodily injuries to several innocent voters and INEC officials.”
The nation’s democracy was nurtured under the leadership of PDP for 16 years. Within these 16years, Lagos State remained in the opposition. The three PDP Presidents never used Federal Might to undermine the democratic process in Lagos State.
It is disheartening that the APC Federal Government undermines democracy through the deployment of the police to steal mandates in Rivers State as well as disrupt elections in a state where the APC is not on ground. The worst nightmare of the nation’s democracy is the criminal collusion between the Police and APC to steal votes and mandates.
Governor Wike said: “The consistent sabotage of the electoral process by the Police amounts to a declaration of war against the people of Rivers State and their solemn rights to freely and fairly choose their leaders and representatives.”
Rivers State is PDP. Here the people have experienced good governance and mass projects delivery. Its Wike or Wike in 2019.
The Rivers arena is a national reference point. Nobody can successfully rig elections in Rivers State. SARS, POLICE AND APC CANNOT STOP THE PEOPLE’S GOVERNOR.
