Politics
Covid-19: Obuah Slams Wike’s Critics Over Approach …
Outgoing Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Bro. Felix Obuah has slammed those criticising Governor Nyesom Wike’s efforts to combat the spread of the novel Covid-19 pandemic in the state, describing them as political detractors.
Obuah in a statement issued by his media aide, Jerry Needam and made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt said it was difficult to rationalise the actions of those critics while the Governor was working tirelessly to stem the spread of the virus in the State.
While describing that these critics and their sponsors as enemies of the State, the outgoing PDP chairman, said their anger stemmed from the fact that while states like Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Osun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Edo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Enugu and Ekiti were recording staggering figures in the number of cases of the pandemic, Rivers by God’s has just one case.
Obuah further described those behind what he termed ‘unwarranted arm-chair criticism’ on the Governor as unpatriotic, saying patriotic minded persons in the State would commend the Governor’s assiduous efforts to spur him into more actions.
He particularly drew the attention of those ranting over the three day curfew imposed on parts of the State along some section of Port Harcourt to the fact that he took the action to forestall opening of markets and other crowded activities, adding that states like Akwa Ibom and others are on lockdown with total restriction of movement.
The statement further reads: “It is even more appalling to think that these unpatriotic voices are the same persons who would not keep politics aside and view issues from the perspective of our common interests.
“They are rudely disappointed at the fact that Covid-19 is being curtailed by the proactive steps being taken by the Governor. For them, Rivers State should be recording more cases to satisfy their evil and political aggrandizement.”
Obuah whose tenure as the State PDP Chairman ends in May, 2020 however appealed to all and sundry to see the Covid-19 pandemic as a common enemy for which all hands must be on deck to defeat the scourge.
“This is a period our compassionate nature should prevail and show empathy to the State Governor who is having sleepless nights to ensure that Rivers people are safe and free,” Obuah stated.
Prof. Amupitan gave the warning on Saturday, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, during the South-South Zonal Readiness Assessment and Interactive Staff Engagement organised ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said insecurity remained a potential challenge to the electoral process but stressed that the Commission would not allow threats against its personnel to undermine its constitutional responsibilities.
“Insecurity may pose a challenge, but our collective constitutional resolve is far stronger. Let me again send a clear message from Port Harcourt: anyone who attempts to threaten, intimidate, or harm our ad-hoc staff, NYSC members, or permanent personnel will be brought to justice under the full weight of the law,” he said.
The INEC Chairman, who was accompanied by National Commissioners, directors and technical aides, disclosed that the South-South engagement was the fifth in a series of zonal assessments, following similar exercises in the South-West, North-West, South-East and North-East.
He explained that his physical presence across the geopolitical zones reflected the Commission’s field-first approach, emphasising that electoral integrity must be established through effective operations at the grassroots.
According to him, the assessment would cover operational preparedness across the 123 Local Government Areas in the six South-South states.
On election security, Prof. Amupitan said INEC had moved away from reactive security arrangements traditionally activated around election day to a proactive, intelligence-driven framework known as the “ICCES Tentacle”.
He explained that the framework was designed to extend inter-agency security coordination from national and state headquarters to local government areas and Registration Area Centres, including remote communities.
He identified three critical pillars of the framework as mapping and mitigating security threats, protecting electoral personnel and infrastructure, and guaranteeing safe access to polling units.
The INEC boss said the security arrangement would provide comprehensive protection for electoral personnel, technological infrastructure, including Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices and server infrastructure, as well as voters.
He added that the framework was intended to ensure that every polling unit, irrespective of its geographical location or history of security challenges, remained safe and accessible for the exercise of democratic rights.
Prof. Amupitan disclosed that the South-South security architecture comprised approximately 60 major operational formations, headquarters and state commands operating under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
The network, he said, brings together military, naval, air, police and other security and intelligence agencies across the six states.
“Together, this integrated multi-agency network represents the operational backbone that guarantees intelligence-led protection across every riverine creek, coastal axis, and land-based polling unit in the Niger Delta,” he stated.
Providing an overview of the region’s electoral significance, the INEC Chairman said the South-South had the fourth-largest voting bloc in the country, with 15,823,550 registered voters, representing 15.30 per cent of the national register.
Rivers State alone, he said, accounts for 3,736,434 registered voters spread across the 23 local government areas.
Alhaji Abubakar made the demand following revelations that some INEC registration officers allegedly abused their access to the voter registration system to introduce irregular records into the database.
In a statement issued by his Director of Strategic Communications, Mr Phrank Shaibu, the former vice-president described the development as a serious breach of the Commission’s internal safeguards and raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.
He urged INEC to identify the officials implicated in the alleged misconduct and explain what disciplinary or legal measures had been taken against them.
Alhaji Abubakar also called for an independent forensic audit of the preliminary voters’ register to establish the scale of the alleged manipulation, identify affected records and determine how the questionable entries were introduced into the system.
He further insisted that INEC preserve all relevant voter records, image files, system access logs and electronic audit trails to prevent the destruction or alteration of evidence before an independent examination could be conducted.
The former vice-president also demanded that the Commission disclose the identities of companies contracted to produce sensitive election materials ahead of the 2027 polls, arguing that transparency was essential to building public confidence in the electoral process.
INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode, had earlier disclosed during a television interview that some registration officers across the country allegedly used their official login credentials to introduce irregularities into the voters’ database.
Dr Bayode explained that the Commission’s Automated Biometric Identification System helped identify questionable records and establish how some irregularities entered the system.
He, however, clarified that not all suspicious photographs were AI-generated, as some resulted from poor registration procedures.
The development followed public concerns over suspected AI-generated photographs, alleged duplicate entries and other inconsistencies discovered in the preliminary voters’ register published online on October 26, 2026.
INEC has maintained that the published document is a preliminary register and that it is reviewing questionable records ahead of the certification of the final Register of Voters.
The controversy has intensified calls for greater transparency and accountability in the management of the voters’ register as preparations gather momentum for the 2027 general elections.
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