Why Rivers by-election was successful – Stakeholders

Stakeholders have described Saturday’s Rivers State House of Assembly by-election as peaceful, commendable, and worthy of emulation.

They made the commendation in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Port Harcourt.

NAN reports that the by-election for the Rivers State House of Assembly held to fill the vacant seats in Ahoada East II and Khana II constituencies, following the demise of the lawmakers representing Khana II State Constituency and Ahoada East Constituency.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers, Mr Dumnamene Dekor, said that part of what contributed to the peaceful process was the strength of the coalition among political parties.

He noted that the process was largely credible, as the electorate maintained decorum throughout the voting period.

“There was no acrimony, no fight, no quarrel. In most units, people were even exchanging banter, which is not the usual experience associated with elections in Rivers and some other states in Nigeria.

“The peaceful atmosphere we experienced during voting was due to the rainbow coalition among major political parties in the state, particularly the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.

“The collaboration among major parties reduced the tension and electoral violence often witnessed during polls in this area,” he said.
Dekor expressed optimism that the peaceful conduct of the election would serve as a model for 2027 in the state and other parts of the country.

The Executive Chairman of Khana Local Government Area, Dr Bariere Thomas, also expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct that characterised the election.

“I can say authoritatively that we witnessed a very peaceful election.

“The atmosphere was calm, collation was peaceful, and at the end of the day, the people’s voices were heard,” he said.

Dr Nwisabari Samuel, Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Rivers Chapter, commended youths in the state for their peaceful conduct during and after the election.
Samuel said that the calm atmosphere recorded during voting and collation of results dispelled fears of possible unrest.

“A lot of people expected a crisis and disruption of peace because of the activities of youths, but we were impressed by the conduct of our young people.

“We heard no gunshots, ballot box snatching, or any other election-related violence,” he said.

He attributed the peaceful outcome to sensitisation efforts, including town hall meetings, which encouraged young people to participate responsibly in the democratic process.

Samuel described the development as a positive sign for Nigeria’s democracy and urged youths to sustain the spirit of sportsmanship beyond the election period.

“There was no report of any death, casualty, or injury. It was peaceful all the way,” he added.

Samuel called on youths to remain committed to responsible civic engagement to strengthen democratic governance in the country.

(NAN)