Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has enjoined opposition parties that lost in the March 18, 2023 governorship election in the State to join the governor-elect, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, to consolidate the State\u2019s current development trajectory.
\nThe governor said with the elections over, all political actors genuinely interested in moving the State forward should embrace reconciliation that will guarantee peaceful coexistence in the State.
\nWike extended the olive branch to the opposition yesterday during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) thanksgiving service held at All Saints Cathedral (Anglican Communion), Rumuokwurusi, in honour of the governor-elect, his deputy, and other elected representatives of Rivers State at the National and State House of Assembly.
\nHe urged opposition parties in the State that wish to seek legal redress in the election petition tribunal to reconsider their stance and prioritise the development of the State above personal ambition.
\n\u201cI urge those who are going to tribunal that they should leave it, let Rivers State move forward. Support the governor-elect to move Rivers State forward\u201d, he said.
\nWike noted that some of those who are bent on seeking legal redress at the election petition tribunal, knew that Rivers people rejected them at the poll for allegedly defrauding the State Government of $50M.
\nAccording to him, they are going to the tribunal is aimed at distracting the governor-elect just as they did to his administration.
\n\u201cIf we were not focused, we would have been distracted and that is what they want to do now, by making sure the governor-elect is distracted. I want to urge you (Fubara), don\u2019t be afraid. God who gave you the mantle will never disappoint you. Be focused, and do the work you have been elected for. Leave the tribunal for your lawyers to do their work. Focus in your work. God will lead you through\u201d, Wike prayed.
\nCiting the tremendous developmental achievements recorded by his administration in all the 23 local government areas of the State since 2015, Wike said it is disingenuous for any political party to accuse the PDP of rigging the 2023 election in the State.
\nHe said, \u201cWe are proud and that is why we are able to sell ourselves. When people say there was fraud, I ask fraud committed by who? You mean with all we have done, with what PDP has showcased about the performance of the administration in this state, that we will bother ourselves on how to rig election. Certainly not possible.\u201d
\nThe governor implored the church to consistently intercede and make supplication for the governor-elect and his incoming administration to succeed, saying Rivers is a very strategic State where lots of persons within and outside the State have vested interest.
\nHe advised his successor to be firm and resolute in defending the interest of the State irrespective of whose ox is gored.
\nHe said, \u201cAs I am going, I am going very satisfied. My shoulders are high that I am finishing well because that has been my dream.\u201d
\nWike charged those elected to represent the State in the National Assembly to prioritise the interest of the State and cautioned them not to go to Abuja and form a cartel in a bid to undermine the governor-elect, saying those who embark on such futile adventure always live to regret it.
\nHe thanked God for His benevolence, noting that the PDP campaign team never recorded any accident, death throughout the campaign and even election in all the 23 local government areas of the State.
\nAccording to him, \u201cNo one gunshot throughout our campaign. We thank God Almighty that we were able to campaign throughout the 23 LGAs and then went in for the elections as members of the Peoples Democratic Party. I have not heard of any report that we lost any of our persons during the election.\u201d
\nIn his sermon, Bishop of the Diocese of Evo, Rt. Reverend Innocent Ordu, stated that Rivers peoples voted for PDP candidates owing to the sterling performance of Governor Wike in office with the hope that they will continue in his footsteps.
\nHe declared that God demands from every government the kind of responsiveness that offers good governance with servant leaders attitude.
\nThe Bishop charged the PDP to not only sustain the culture of thanksgiving but serve as potent link between the people and the government so that the new administration does not become isolated from the people.
\nHe urged the governor-elect to assemble a formidable team of experts in his bid to serve the state while also bracing up to be a transformer with strategic leadership drive in order to perform more excellently.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has enjoined opposition parties that lost in the March 18, 2023 governorship election in the State to join the governor-elect, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, to consolidate the State\u2019s current development trajectory. The governor said with the elections over, all political actors genuinely interested in moving the State forward should embrace […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":315453,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[688],"class_list":["post-315444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-front-pix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=315444"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315444\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":315455,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315444\/revisions\/315455"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/315453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=315444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=315444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=315444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}