16th March, 2023
*PDP says it’s crying of lazy losers
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Five governorship candidates in Rivers have alleged that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state has perfected arrangement with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to rig the March 18 gubernatorial and state houses of assembly elections.
The five candidates spoke at a joint press conference in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
They are candidates of All Progressives Congress, APC, Tonye Patrick Cole, National Rescue Movement, Sobomabo Jackrich; Action Alliance, Dr. Dawari George; Accord, Dumo Lulu-Briggs and African Democratic Congress, Chief Tonte Ibraye.
They claimed they have uncovered plot by certain top officials of INEC in Rivers State to compromise the governorship and state houses of assembly elections billed for Saturday, March 18, 2023 in favour of PDP candidates.
They claimed that information available to them indicated that Governor Nyesom Wike is planning to use 23 Local Government Area Council Secretariats that will be used as collation centers by INEC to rig and manipulate the results of the elections.
They further alleged Local Government Chairmen, who are the Chief Security Officers in their various council areas have been put under firm instruction to carry out what they said was codenamed “Operation No Mercy” on every other party Agent.
“The Council Chairmen are to ensure those Agents representing their parties’ interests do not have access to the Collation Centres”.
They further alleged that PDP Government of Rivers State has also assured INEC officials of their safety provided they cooperate with the PDP Agents to manipulate the results at the local government secretariats before taking it out to the State Collation Centre.
The Governorship Candidates therefore demanded that INEC and every relevant authority should stop all government officials from accessing the collation centres.
They stressed that in accordance with Section 43(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 prohibiting Government officials from acting or serving as Agents to political parties at elections, INEC and relevant security authorities should restrict the movement of all Rivers State Government officials beginning with Governor Wike down to the Executive Chairmen of the Councils.
“INEC should ensure that all categories of officials prohibited by the Electoral Act stay away from the Collation Centres as their presence will compromise the process.
“That only persons who are party agents according to law and designated INEC officials should have access to the Collation Centres at the Ward, LGA and State levels only party agents be allowed access to the collation centers.
They further pointed out that at on no account should Governor Wike be exempted from the restrictions of access to Collation Centres in accordance with the law as his presence at the Obio/Akpor Council Collation Centre in the last and previous elections led to compromise of the process and cast doubts on the credibility and ability of INEC to conduct free, fair, and credible elections in the State.
They also called for close monitoring of the activities of INEC officials and Ad-Hoc Staff during the election.
However, in a swift reaction, the PDP dismissed the claims that it is working in cahoots with INEC to rig Saturday’s elections
The Party described the allegations as “the banter of half-wits who are busy quarreling with even the air that they breath, while they quarrel with their tools.”
The party who reacted to the allegations in a statement by its Director of Publicity and Communications, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, also alleged that some political parties, including the APC, Labour and the SDP are planning to bomb INEC offices ahead of the elections.
He added that the political parties that are accusing INEC and everybody, including, security officials involved in the electoral process of conniving with the PDP to rig Saturday’s elections in the State are like farmers who failed to take advantage of the early rains to plant their crops.
“Simply put, these parties failed woefully to campaign effectively for their candidates while the PDP went round the State to sell its agenda to the people.
“Rather than campaigning among the people, they made this year’s election a media event. Now that they know the people are prepared to vote for the PDP, they are crying wolf.
“INEC is not a political party. This point must be stressed. Elections are won in the field where voters cast their votes, not at collation centres.
“The same political parties which are blowing hot air are the same ones who are planning to attack and kill defenseless electoral officers all in attempt to disrupt the elections and the collation of results.
“Council premises that INEC is planning to use are public facilities. They belong to the third tier of government and not the Rivers State Government which is the second tier of government. These facilities will be protected by security officials controlled by the Federal Government which is the first tier of government.
“On the day of elections, serving local government Council chairmen will not be found in their offices. INEC will take absolute control of such office complexes. The argument raised by these parties do not arise,” said the PDP publicity secretary.
Nwuke alleged that political parties which are threatening violence openly on television, who have raked up the issue of abandoned property and tried everything in their power to pitch nonindigenes against the people of Rivers State are only singing the lullaby of defeat.
He urged Rivers people to ignore them and Rivers people to vote massively for the candidates of the his party.
“We have a track record in good governance that cannot be ignored. Governor Nyesom Wike has fulfilled the social contract entered into with the people
PDP added that Rotimi Amaechi, leader of the APC failed while in office as Minister of Transportation to bring anything home.
“Let him point at one thing he brought home. It is a shame that such a leader who served as a one-time Governor of this great state will attempt to cover up his short coming while in office by spreading cheap lies.
“PDP stated Rivers people know who the real serpent is. They know who the brood of vipers are. They know it is not certainly Governor Nyesom Wike who has offered constructive leadership to Rivers State and its people.”