Don’t Subvert Will Of Rivers People, IPAC Tells Buhari

Irked by moves by those it described as “some compromised pro-APC Elders convened by the desperate Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi” to truncate the election collation process in the state, the Rivers State wing of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to take any step that will jeopardize the collation and declaration of the State’s governorship elections result and subvert the will of Rivers people.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Sir Precious Baridoo, at a press conference yesterday in Port Harcourt, IPAC hinted that it had “information that these pro-APC Elders have written to President Buhari to halt the collation process and “create the atmosphere where INEC, as presently constituted, will not conclude the elections”.
IPAC wondered how former Rivers State Governor, Rufus Ada George, Ambassador Chukwudi Orike, Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas, Prof. D.M.J. Fubara and Rtd Group Captain Ben-Kalio, under the aegis of Rivers Elders, would place partisan and monetary considerations above the interest of the State.
It described the letter allegedly written to the President as devilish, wicked and affront to the people of the state who overwhelmingly voted for Governor Nyesom Wike of the PDP on March 9, 2019.
IPAC maintained that the Elders cannot feign ignorance of the “negative roles” played by the Nigerian Army and F-SARS during the Governorship and State Assembly elections which vividly captured the volence at the various local Government Collation Centres in the state.
It said it was “unfortunate that these Pro-APC Elders would allow themselves to be used by Amaechi who is bent on imposing his stooge on Rivers State as Governor”.
Recalling that the INEC fact finding Committee had acknowledged that elections were held in majority of the polling units in the state, IPAC insisted that from the declarations made PDP won in all state constituencies.
Said IPAC: “the Governorship and State Assembly elections in Rivers State have been concluded as INEC announced in its Press Release. The arm-twisting ploy of these elders hired by Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi will not work. The will of Rivers people will prevail.
“From results in all polling units made available to us through our agents during the elections, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has been re-elected. We shall await the official collation and declaration.
“The AAC/APC/Army alliance are also aware of this fact, hence the last minute declaration. It is sad that these elders are indirectly seeking for fresh elections in Rivers State, when winners have already emerged in the constituencies and for the Governorship election”.
Also, the Chairman, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rivers State Chapter, Hon Enyi Princewill has expressed explicit confidence in the ability of Governor Nyesom Wike to emerge as winner of the 2019 Governorship election in the state.
The NNPP chairman, who was also the gubernatorial candidate of his party in the state until he relinquished his ambition, and joined some other candidates to back Wike’s re-election, stated this in an interview with our correspondent, last Monday, in Port Harcourt.
Reacting to the delay by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to release the final results of the governorship election, Princewill said, “as far as I am concerned, they are only trying to delay the destiny of Rivers people but Rivers people’s destiny cannot be denied because the voice of the people is the voice of God.
“So, I am very confident that before the end of this week, Chief Nyesom Wike will be pronounced the executive governor of Rivers State for the next four years”, he said.
He urged the people of the state to continue to remain calm and watchful, stressing that at the appropriate time, which cannot be later than this week, they will know their governor.
Princewill, who threw more light on why he relinquish his ambition and joined some other governorship candidates to adopt Wike for re-election, said their decision was in view of the governor’s superlative performance, particularly his infrastructural revolution in the state.
According to him, “As far as I am concerned and as the governorship candidate of my party (the NNPP), I took a very frantic, invaluable understanding of Wike’s infrastructural development programmes, and keyed into one of those who adopted him.
“And as I speak with you, I have the telepathy that tells me that all is well”.
The NNPP boss called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sanction the Army and their civilian accomplices whose illegal activities were aimed at subverting the rights of the people of the state and also resulted in the killing of innocent citizens.
He noted that such steps have become imperative to deter others in future.
Princewill regretted that so much alarm had been raised by Wike in the past as to the evil plans of the enemies of the state, yet appropriate authorities chose not to take necessary action to avert the dangers.
“They said he talks too much, but all he said have come to limelight.
“If not that he shouted, they would have also kidnapped the REC because there was intention to do that.
“If not that we shouted, they would have removed one political party’s logo from the ballot papers so as to demand for repeat of the election”, he said.
He described Rivers State as a state ordained by God, and warned evil doers to leave the state alone.

Victor Tew