The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) had since set aside tomorrow, April 17, 2021 for the conduct of election for chairmen and councillors in the 23 local government areas of the state. For this reason, the Commission had already recruited and trained some ad hoc staff and also embarked on aggressive enlightenment campaign on the conduct of the poll.
According to RSIEC, about 17 confirmed political parties registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would participate in the election. The present local council chairmen and councillors will be concluding their three-year tenure in June.
The fact remains that the people in the rural areas are yearning for infrastructural development. Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, had often said publicly that he wants to see council chairmen embark on infrastructural development in their areas of jurisdiction. The Governor did not mince words when he said that the chairmen should not wait for him for the development of the rural communities.
It was observed recently that most of the council chairmen performed below expectation. Tomorrow’s election would create a new era in the politics of the state. This is because it will place the rural dwellers in a better stead to carefully weigh the contestants and choose those that are more likely to bring forth such development at the grassroots.
Available evidence shows that RSIEC is not resting on its oars to see that the election is conducted under the atmosphere of peace and tranquillity. The state’s electoral umpire has had serious interface with security agencies in the state. The high-level collaboration is beyond measure.
Its chairman, Justice George Omereji, with his team, is working hard to make sure this election comes out the best in the history of local government elections in Rivers State. Tomorrow’s outing will, therefore, serve as yet another test of the commission’s capability to conduct a credible, transparent and violence-free poll in the state. This may explain why RSIEC is synergising with relevant stakeholders in Rivers State in order to ensure a convivial atmosphere during and after the election.
On their part, the electorate also have to ensure that everything goes on smoothly as they are expected to file out peacefully and vote for the parties and candidates of their choice. There is no need for anyone to sit on the fence this time around. Also, no candidate, party official, security top brass or their proxies should attempt to manipulate the outcome of voting on that day. Let the people’s choice stand.
It is time to change the narrative in Rivers local council polls and, by extension, the general elections in the entire polity. This is why eligible voters should be encouraged to come out in their numbers. Local government is the nearest tier of the governance levels to the rural populace; hence its importance to grassroots democracy.
It is obvious that the Rivers State Government has funded RSIEC sufficiently to conduct this Saturday’s council poll. Therefore, the electoral body should guard against any hiccups. Logistical issues such as late arrival of voting materials at the polling stations should be avoided. This is even more so since the number of participating parties is low.
The former situations where there were reports of ballot-box snatching, ballot stuffing, rigging in hotel rooms and other places outside the polling centres, deployment of thugs and other violent methods should be avoided. Also, sharing of money or the exercise of any other forms of undue influence should be disallowed.
As an impartial umpire, RSIEC is expected to carry along every political party that has volunteered and has been cleared to participate in tomorrow’s election. There should be a level playing field for all as has, so far, been reflected in the campaigns.
It is worth stating that this election is not about RSIEC or the Rivers State Government but about Rivers State and its people among the federating states of Nigeria and beyond. Therefore, justice, equity, fair play and transparency should be the watchwords.
The Rivers State Police Command has assured people of the state of its readiness to ensure a hitch-free local council election tomorrow; following which it has warned politicians who are in the habit of going to vote at their polling units with a retinue of their guards or supporters to desist from such.
Let the civil society organisations, journalists, international election observers who will volunteer to monitor this election ensure that they live above board. They should attempt to reach far and wide as to ensure adequate coverage of the state, considering the importance of this election to the majority of people at the lowest rung of society.
Unlike what had obtained previously, these election monitors should endeavour to issue a collective assessment of the overall conduct of the election so that people elsewhere can always situate complaints from any participants.
Finally, it is good that a restriction in movement had been put in place from 12:00 midnight yesterday to further ensure that mischief makers do not go to work with any clandestine plan to scuttle the election. Obviously, not every political party is participating in the poll. And certainly not all of them will be comfortable if the exercise pulls through as planned.
Ogwuonuonu wrote from Port Harcourt.