Why APC Boycotted LG Polls – Princewill

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State excused themselves from the just concluded local council polls in the state for fear of exposing their weaknesses since they were not prepared for the contest.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chairmanship candidate in Asari-Toru Local Government Area, Chief Odiari Princewill made the assertion while exchanging views with newsmen at Buguma, headquarters of the LGA, last Saturday.
According to Princewill, the APC took the best option out of a contest that they could never have won due to their unpopularity in the local government area in particular and the state in general.
“That is the best option for them. When a man is not prepared for something, will he come to a contest? He will fail,” he said, adding that “They didn’t want to expose themselves. They were wise to excuse themselves from the exercise so as not to show their weakness. 95 per cent of the electorate in Asalga are PDP.”
The PDP candidate, who hailed the conduct of the elections in the area commended the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, the security agencies and the people for the peace and orderliness that characterised the exercise in the area, said gone were the days when politicians engaged thugs and miscreants to disturb and subvert the will of the people.
“I give kudos to RSIEC. All arms of the security apparatus are working and even the people are willing to keep the peace. We are tired of somebody coming from nowhere, pay thugs to come and disturb our environment, our community and our LGA”.
He insisted: “If you have any ambition, come openly, make your point open to the people, try to sell your product, if they buy it, fine, if they don’t, forget it. Democracy involves the mandate from the people and once the people say no, it’s no and their yes will stand.”
Princewill described the exercise as a foretaste of what is to come in 2019 as the people were wiser and prepared to take their electoral fate in their hands subsequently.
On his plans for the people of the area if he wins the election, the candidate of the PDP promised to priortise the security of lives and property while running an administration that will accommodate all interest groups in the area – with special focus on empowerment and development of the youths.
“When it comes to security, I will not compromise because it is the key that will attract development to our area,” he said, adding that youths will be constantly engaged in empowerment programmes from crime and other social vices.

Opaka Dokubo