Rivers Polls: Groups Endorse PDP Candidates Drum More Support

Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, Comptroller-General, Nigerian Customs Service, Retired Col. Hammed Ali and Assistant Director, Department of State Security Service, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Mr Segun Daramola, during the inspection of Customs facilities at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by the Minister in Abuja

Barely one week to the scheduled rerun elections into 22 seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly, 12 seats in the federal constituencies for the House of Representatives and three seats in the state’s senatorial districts, and tension mounting, no less than 850 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community-based organisations (CBOs), and civil society organisations (CSOs) have endorsed all candidates of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the elections.
The body, which made their position known under the cover of Coalition of Concerned NGOs, CBOs and CSOs for Wike 2015 General Elections, at a press conference and rally in Port Harcourt, last Friday, said they were also poised to mobilise mass grassroots support and solidarity to all the PDP candidates in the legislative rerun elections in the affected areas come next Saturday.
President of the coalition, Comrade Christian Obi, who addressed newsmen at the Ministry of Justice Auditorium, shortly after the rally, said that they were committed to replicate the huge turn-out of PDP supporters in the March 28 and April 11, 2015 general elections at the rerun elections on March 19, 2016, adding that all members of the more than 850 NGOs, CBOs and CSOs have pledged to work harder this time around to deliver all the PDP candidates in the elections.
He further listed some of the demands of the coalition, which include the appointment of a special adviser to the governor on NGO affairs and creation of a directorate to coordinate issues related to NGOs, CBOs, and CSOs, inclusion of its members in the list nominees for Christian and Muslim pilgrimages to Jerusalem and Rome, as well as Saudi Arabia, and regular consultation and interface with the community to promote good governance, transparency, peace and sustainable development.
While appealing to the enthusiastic members to return to their communities and mobilise Rivers people to vote massively for all PDP candidates in the rerun elections, Obi cautioned some agitated members, especially those sponsored by the opposition to cause confusion at the rally, to retrace their steps, and recommit themselves to the goal they had vowed collectively to pursue and actualise for the good of the state, assuring that members of the coalition would soon begin to reap the fruits of their labour from the Wike government.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana