Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahood Yakubu, has appealed to the political gladiators and Rivers indigenes to allow the commission conclude collation of the March 9 exercise.
The INEC boss who was represented by the National Commissioner of the commission in charge of Rivers, Bayelsa and Edo States, Barr. May Agbamuche-Mbu, made the appeal on Saturday during a stakeholders meeting with key actors in the governorship poll in Port-Harcourt.
Present at the meeting were, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, Governorship candidate of African Action Congress (AAC) Biokpomabo Awara, political parties and security operatives.
Yakubu said: “I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the good people of Rivers State, our traditional rulers, market women, youths, leaders and members of political parties in the state, including the candidates in the elections and all other stakeholders to allow peace to reign in the state before, during and after the activities outlined for the conclusion of the elections by the commission.
“We do not have any other state, apart from Rivers State, to call our own. Let us join hands together to make Rivers State even greater.
“On the part of the commission, I wish to assure you of our commitment to free, fair and credible elections.
“We intend to keep these promises. May God, in His kindness, grant Rivers State perpetual peace.”
“The results of the March 9 elections in Rivers State are with us (INEC) in our strong room and they have not been tampered with.
“A five-man fact-finding committee was therefore set up to ascertain the nature and verify the report of obstructive and lawless activities that generally attended the elections at the state collation centre, other collation centres and polling areas, occasioning the suspension.
“I was a member of the fact-finding committee. So, I know what I am talking about.
“The main objective of this meeting is to brief you on the schedule of activities and timeline, set by the commission for the conclusion of the governorship and state House of Assembly elections, and to solicit for your maximum cooperation towards the success of this exercise.
“It is also to generate discussions among the stakeholders, with a view to achieving transparent, peaceful and violence-free conclusion of the elections, within the timeline set by the commission.”
Earlier, Governor Nyesom Wike and the state’s governorship candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), Biokpomabo Awara clashed at the meeting.
While Awara, an indigene of Kula-Kalabari in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers, accused Wike and INEC of doctoring results of the governorship and House of Assembly elections of March 9 in the state, Wike, however, accused Awara, other members of AAC and their backers in the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) of promoting violence and scaring investors from Rivers.
Leave a Reply