Buhari’s refusal to sign electoral act threat to nation’s existence, says Wike

The refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to sign into law the amended Electoral Act is still generating more reactions. Among those piqued by the stance of the President is the Governor of Rivers State, Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, who on Tuesday declared that the refusal was a threat to the nation’s existence. Explaining further, Governor Wike said that President Buhari’s refusal to assent to the Act passed by the National Assembly (NASS), would generate deadly political tensions in the general elections scheduled for 2019. The governor who spoke at the Government House, Port Harcourt, during the visit of the Anglican Bishop of Niger Delta North, Rt. Rev. Wisdom Ihunwo, alleged that the whole essence of not signing the Electoral Act by President Muhammadu Buhari was for him to rig the 2019 elections. “This present administration does not want the existence of one Nigeria. We don’t know if there will be Nigeria after the 2019 General elections. “The National Assembly tried to cure the defects of the Electoral Act that led to controversies during the 2015 elections. After the passage, the President kept on giving countless excuses why he wouldn’t sign the amended Electoral Act. “The whole essence of not signing the Electoral Act is to rig the 2019 General elections. And in the plot to rig the 2019 elections, Rivers State comes first and Akwa Ibom State is the second on their list,” Governor Wike alleged. The governor opined that President Muhammadu Buhari was aware that if he assented to the amended 2019 Electoral Act, he would lose the 2019 elections. He alleged that the APC was working against transparent and credible polls because they had been rejected by Nigerians. He continued: “Now, they don’t want to use the smart card readers because they want to sit down and write results. “It is painful that the President that says he is fighting corruption is leaving room for the rigging of the 2019 polls. There is no scorruption worse than rigging. The President cannot set this country on fire,” he stated. Governor Wike noted that the country belonged to all Nigerians; hence every group must rise up to defend the nation’s democracy. The Governor urged the Church to work with other well-meaning Nigerians to resist what he described as the criminal intent of the Buhari administration in the area of election rigging. Earlier, the Anglican Bishop of Niger Delta North, Rt. Rev. Wisdom Ihunwo, congratulated Governor Wike on making Rivers State proud within and outside Nigeria. He noted that Governor Wike had turned Rivers State into a huge construction site which had led to the governor emerging as the best performing governor in different sectors of the economy. Appreciating the governor’s goodwill and support for the Church, Rt. Rev. Ihunwo said: “Our prayer is that because you have willingly invested into the progress of the Diocese of the Niger Delta North, God will further open the channel of favour and opportunities for you in your political journey,” he said. Highpoint of the visit was the offering of special prayers for the Rivers State Governor by the Anglican Bishop of Niger Delta North. Amaka Agbu, Port Harcourt