Election Suspension: Rivers Political Situation Worrisome ― Obi

In a statement yesterday through his media office, Obi appealed to the international community to show more than a passing interest in a “contrived stalemate in the elections affecting Rivers and five other states”. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) suspended the elections in Rivers and declared the polls inconclusive in Plateau, Benue, Adamawa, Bauchi and Kano States. Obi also kicked against the alleged role of the military in the election, and queried the alleged forceful relocation of collation centres to a military formation, as well as the refusal of the military to allow journalists and local and foreign observers access to the collation process. He described the involvement of the military in the polls as needless, saying it has aggravated the tense situation in Rivers State. Obi, who described the situation as a grave breach of democratic norms, wondered why the undue interest in Rivers, “a very well known PDP stronghold”? According to him, Rivers State Governor Neysom Wike should be the last to face this type of harassment given his popularity with his people. He called on Nigerians and friends of the country to condemn the stalemate, saying the situation is clearly unacceptable. “Any reasonable person should know that Governor Wike is the last person who should be harassed, knowing what he has put in just in four years in the delivery of democracy dividends,” Obi added.]]>