Why PDP’s Winning Rerun Polls -Wike …Says INEC Failed Rivers People …Laments Poor Planning, Logistics

Rivers State Governor Chief Nyesom Wike casting his vote at unit 7 Ward 9 at Obio/Akpo LGA, during the National and State Assemblies Rerun elections in Rivers State on Saturday

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike says he is not surprised over the triumph of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in last weekend’s re-run state and national assembly election.
He barred his mind to newsmen in a media chat yesterday in Government House, Port Harcourt
In the words of the governor, “what is happening in Rivers State is beyond propaganda. You can’t rig elections where you are not popular.”
According to him, “the people will triumph over the evil machinations of the opposition which wanted to rig the elections by all means.
On his party’s performance at the elections he said, “For my party we’ve never had any doubt that we are going to win the elections, but rather the opposition from the onset was bent to rig the elections and cause problems.”
Wike recalled that since last year when the elections were cancelled by the Court of Appeal the PDP started mobilizing the people ahead the re-run polls
Meanwhile, Wike has deplored the huge presence of military personnel in last weekend’s elections.
He stated that rather than protect lives and ensure free conduct of the polls, the military was glaringly involved in supporting the opposition, “throughout my political career I have never seen the kind of military involvement in an election as this.”
The governor maintained that the military went beyond their constitutional role, as he accused former Governor Chibuike Amaechi and APC’s guber candidate in last year’s elections, Dr. Dakuku Peterside in a desperate move to win the elections by all means.
He cited instances in Tai, Khana and Gokana where the military colluded with prominent politicians in the area to divert electoral materials but were resisted and which led to the killing of one person in Tai, while voting was cancelled in the other two LGAs.
On the other hand, Wike says he doesn’t have any personal quarrel with ex-Governor Amaechi.
The Rivers State governor opined that he and Amaechi are not quarrelling, even though he accused the Minister of Transportation of displaying bitterness and grudge over his popularity, “He is in APC and  I am in PDP, must we be in the same party? I don’t see anything personal about it.”
Wike said he doesn’t have any regrets for making Amaechi governor of the state, “ I don’t have regrets for allowing God to use me to make Amaechi governor because it was not for him but for the people.”
In a related development, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has failed Rivers people following the poor logistics that marred last Saturday’s national and state assembly rerun elections.
Even the governor’s accreditation experienced hic-cups as two card readers were used severally before he was eventually accredited to vote.
However, his wife, Justice Suzette Nyesom-Wike was accredited smoothly.
While speaking to newsmen shortly after casting his vote few minutes after mid-day at Ward 9, Unit 7, Rumueprikom, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Wike said it was obvious that the electoral umpire was not prepared for the rerun elections in the state, noting that the challenges that greeted the elections would have been avoided if the commission had prepared for the rerun elections.
He regretted that some areas in the state did not have result sheets, which may have led to violence as the people suspected foul play.
According to him: “It is obvious that INEC was not prepared for the rerun elections. They refused to tell members of the public the challenges they had”.
The governor told journalists that in several polling units, information of scanned results were received.
He added that there were cases of snatching of election materials in Ubima and Omagwa, noting that it was unfortunate that the challenges came up despite the time INEC had to prepare.
Wike, however, gave pass mark to the security agencies for maintaining law and order in the state.