Re-Run Polls: Vote PDP, Wike Tells Rivers People …Assures INEC Of Support

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike (right), Bayelsa State Governor, Hon Seriake Dickson (middle) and their Delta State counterpart, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, during the swearing -in of Governor Dickson for a second term in Yenagoa, yesterday.

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has called on the people  of  the  state  to vote for the Peoples’ Democratic Party’s  candidates  in the  forthcoming  re-run elections to consolidate  on  the  development process  initiated by  his administration.
Speaking  during  a political  rally organised by the leaders of  Evo Kingdom in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, yesterday, Wike  said  that  the people  should elect state legislators  who will support his development  agenda.
He said  that  the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) are not committed to the growth of the state, hence they do not  deserve  the mandate of the people.
According to the governor, “APC candidates are out to obstruct the development agenda of the state. They are not committed to development of  Rivers State.
“Our people  should vote only PDP  candidates  so that the development  process of the state can be consolidated.  Only PDP legislators will support  the  good works already  started”.
For the National Assembly re-run  elections,  Wike also called on the people of the state to support PDP’s  candidates who will dutifully  support the state’s interest at the federal  level.
He noted that candidates  of the APC  would be used to undermine  the state at the National Assembly.
Earlier, a leader of Evo Kingdom, Chief Innocent Chinwo assured the governor  that the people  will vote PDP’s  candidates  in the forthcoming  rerun elections.
He said that the  governor’s  victory  at the Supreme Court is a confirmation  of  the  People’s mandate.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that his administration will support the conduct of free and fair legislative rerun elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the state.
The governor, however, stated that the people of the state will resist any attempt to rig the forthcoming rerun elections with the aim of subverting the will of the people.
Wike spoke on Friday at the Government House, Port Harcourt when he granted audience to the new Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Rivers State, Elder Ikoiwak Aniedi.
The governor said: “You must have heard me say, which some people have taken out of context. I want to repeat what I said. We will support anybody that comes to conduct free and fair elections. If anybody has at the back of his mind that he is coming to do the bidding of a particular political party or interest group or that he is coming to the state to impose candidates on the state or rig election, the people will resist. Of course, you know what that means.
“You have said it here that it is the duty of the people to elect their representatives.  It is not the duty of INEC and it is not the duty of security agents to impose candidates on our State.  Your duty is to conduct free and fair elections and we want to believe that INEC will conduct free and fair elections “.
Speaking further, Wike said: “the ruling party at the Federal level has boasted severally how they will use INEC and security agencies to manipulate the rerun elections. Don’t allow any security agency to tele-guide you because we have told our people that everybody should be firm, everybody should be ready. We will not take any chances, we will follow  materials bumper to bumper. We will make sure we have agents in all areas”.
The governor  urged INEC  to ensure  that  the  forthcoming rerun elections  in the state are conclusive.
Wike called on the INEC  Resident Electoral Commissioner to seek the opinion  of  the commission’s  legal department on the  legal  implications  of the rerun elections  which will hold on 19th March, 2016, long after the three months stipulated in the  Electoral Act and the judgment of the Court of Appeal.
He said that the new Resident Electoral Commissioner is a man who understands the  terrain of the state and has the capacity  to  conduct  free and  fair  elections.
Earlier,  the  Rivers State INEC Electoral Commissioner,  Elder Ikoiwak Aniedi said that he paid the courtesy  call to inform  Governor  Wike that rerun  elections  will hold in the state on 19th March for 3 Senatorial Districts,  12 Federal Constituencies and 22 State Constituencies.
Elder Aniedi  applied for the governor’s approval  for INEC to use state schools for the elections from March 18 to March  20, 2016.