Rivers re-run: Ikwere youths vow to protect votes
Youths from the Ikwerre Political Forum, who are also members of the peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, have vowed to protect their votes after casting their ballots on Saturday, December 10.
President of the forum, Mr. Nyeche Owhor, said in an interview with journalists in Port Harcourt, yesterday, that the PDP and youths in the state were taking Governor Nyesom Wike’s allegation that the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Police were plotting to rig the election in favour of the APC, seriously.
On the strength of the governor’s allegations, he said that the youths would be vigilant after casting their ballots during the legislative re-run elections. He stated that they would move back to a safe distance and wait till the votes were counted and winners declared before going back to their homes.
He stressed: “Governor Wike has spoken out at different occasions in the past few weeks that he was aware of a plot by the APC, INEC and the police to rig the election in favour of APC candidates. As you know, INEC and the police are under the control of the APC federal government. So, we will have to protect our votes.
“Members of the PDP and the youths of the state will vote and remain close to the polling units until the votes are counted and the winners declared by the presiding officers or the INEC official that is officially mandated to announce the results and winner of votes cast at each polling unit.”
Owhor emphasised: “Governor Wike is working and you can see that Rivers people are happy with him. I am sure that the voters will vote for PDP candidates at the re-run election to express their appreciation for what the governor has been doing for the state despite the dwindling resources of the state due to the short fall in crude oil production as well as the plummeting price of crude oil in the international market.”
He asked: “Are you not surprised that the governor is campaigning in all the communities where the re-run election is holding, while the opposition APC and its candidates are doing nothing? A sitting governor, candidates and members of the PDP are campaigning vigorously; yet, the APC is busy issuing press statements denying allegations of rigging. So, does the APC intend to win since it is not campaigning?”
“The leader of the APC in Rivers State, former Governor and current Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, is not in the state. The APC’s candidate in the 2015, gubernatorial election is also not campaigning. Officials of the APC in the state are not campaigning. The candidates whose electoral mandates are at stake are not campaigning either. Does this collective attitude not indicate that the APC is up to something?”
The president of IPF also commended Governor Wike for his amnesty programme extended to criminals in Rivers State, including kidnappers and cultists.
He stressed: “Governor Wike has spoken out at different occasions in the past few weeks that he was aware of a plot by the APC, INEC and the police to rig the election in favour of APC candidates. As you know, INEC and the police are under the control of the APC federal government. So, we will have to protect our votes.
“Members of the PDP and the youths of the state will vote and remain close to the polling units until the votes are counted and the winners declared by the presiding officers or the INEC official that is officially mandated to announce the results and winner of votes cast at each polling unit.”
Owhor emphasised: “Governor Wike is working and you can see that Rivers people are happy with him. I am sure that the voters will vote for PDP candidates at the re-run election to express their appreciation for what the governor has been doing for the state despite the dwindling resources of the state due to the short fall in crude oil production as well as the plummeting price of crude oil in the international market.”
He asked: “Are you not surprised that the governor is campaigning in all the communities where the re-run election is holding, while the opposition APC and its candidates are doing nothing? A sitting governor, candidates and members of the PDP are campaigning vigorously; yet, the APC is busy issuing press statements denying allegations of rigging. So, does the APC intend to win since it is not campaigning?”
“The leader of the APC in Rivers State, former Governor and current Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, is not in the state. The APC’s candidate in the 2015, gubernatorial election is also not campaigning. Officials of the APC in the state are not campaigning. The candidates whose electoral mandates are at stake are not campaigning either. Does this collective attitude not indicate that the APC is up to something?”
The president of IPF also commended Governor Wike for his amnesty programme extended to criminals in Rivers State, including kidnappers and cultists.
Owhor stated: “The amnesty programme has turned out to be a fundamental plank of Governor Wike’s government. There will be no development if there is no peace, security and safety of lives and property. Crime and criminality have reduced since illegal arms were mopped out from the society.”
