As the conduct and results of last week’s Presidential and National Assembly elections which held nationwide continues to come under public scrutiny, key players and actors who played various roles —— legal, illegal and extralegal —— have continued to form the thrust of discussions on the elections.
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One of such figures who has been accused by several observers and participants of actively determining to undermine the seamless and transparent conduct of the elections, is the Governor of Rivers State, Gov. Nyesom Wike.
Prior to the election, the Governor of the oil-rich South South State championed the G-5 group which consisted of 5 PDP Governors who were aggrieved with their party after their primary which held last year.
Gov. Wike openly rejected the candidacy of the party’s presidential flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar and refused to campaign for his presidential ambition. This gave room for other leading parties, the APC, LP and NNPP to court the support and endorsement of Governor Wike who is considered a strong political force in the South, and whose state has over 3million eligible voters.
Few days to the election, feelers from Governor Wike’s camp hinted that the Governor decided to throw his support behind the APC Presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as many of his known foot soldiers were seen actively promoting the ruling party’s candidate in Rivers.
However, what has drawn attention to Governor Wike in the past few days is not just his support for Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is now the President-Elect, but the waves of violence and reported voter suppression and result manipulation which were linked to him.
These allegations have been corroborated by NGOs and observers and is attracting reactions on social media.
One NGO, Yiaga Africa has asserted that the results of Saturday’s presidential election from Rivers states are inconsistent with its observations in the state.
In its post-election statement titled: “The 2023 presidential elections are once again a missed opportunity: INEC must be fundamentally reformed.”
The release was jointly signed by Dr Aisha Abdullahi, for the chair of Watching The Vote and Samson Itodo, executive director Yiaga Africa.
They highlighted that the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were manipulated.
“The state-level presidential results for Imo and Rivers are inconsistent with the Yiaga Africa WTV projections for both states. For Rivers, INEC announced 231,591 votes for APC or 44.2 percent; 175,071 for LP or 33.4 percent and 88,468 for PDP or 16.9 percent.
“This is in sharp contrast to the Yiaga Africa WTV estimates for Rivers which are APC 21.7 percent ±5.0 percent; for LP 50.8 percent ±10.6 percent; and PDP 22.2 percent ±6.5 percent.
Also, concerned about the gross manipulation that greeted the results of Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly election in Rivers State, erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP) and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze called on the people of the State to remain calm.
Expressing dismay at the alleged crude display of desperation by Nyesom Wike, to usurp democracy and foist his will on the people, Eze said the Governor connived with security agencies and INEC officials to change results to suit his desire in clear contravention of the electoral process and true outcome of the elections.
Eze said the notoriety of the Governor who has exposed himself as an evil force by engaging in anti-people practices to further his selfish private vendetta is glaringly annoying and irks to loathing and must be fought and resisted by the people to save democracy, return power to the people and build strong institutions to sustain and strengthen the growth of our political system.
On Twitter, one user, @IkukuomaC shared a news report by African Independent Television (AIT) and tagged it, “APC’s spokesperson in Rivers State, admitting on nat’l TV (AIT) that LP won the presidential election in the State, and NOT APC !!! Governor Nyesom Wike must be imprisoned for stealing and subverting people’s vote with thugs and police”
Another user, @SabinaNkiru shared a video showing destruction of voting materials and said, “They have started destroying evidence to be used at the tribunal… This is Wike’s Rivers.”
@von_Bismack posted “Wike went to ikoku market to beg traders to vote for his handpicked candidate and they turned and where shouting Obi to him.
He murdered sleep, therefore he won’t sleep also.”
Another user, @firstladyship also posted, “We reject Rivers state results collated under duress & at gunpoint. Wike compromised all the results. He threatened to kill INEC officers if they didn’t declare the presidential results in Tinubu’s favor. LP totally rejectS Rivers state results. @GovWike must appear at the HAGUE.”
@von_Bismack shared another video of Corp members serving with INRC being harassed allegedly in Rivers state and said, “This is what Wike’s thugs did to Corpers that didn’t want to doctor results for him. Nyerisi no go d!e well.”
@_weyimi said, “The women of rivers state are out… Wike aided @inecnigeria in making our mothers cry… The curses they have placed on you will follow you for the rest of your lives.
Our vote must count,” Indeed, these numerous allegations from various sources, though unsubstantiated, give certain level of credence to reports that Governor Wike was actively involved in the manipulation of election results in his state last week.
This leaves a bitter taste in our democratic experience which has witnessed considerable gains in recent years until the latest elections.
While security agencies have a constitutional responsibility to thoroughly investigate these grave allegations against a public officer who is bound under law to protect and respect the electoral process, the international community who had election monitors should also ensure investigation is carried out and appropriate sanctions and bans meted on all culpable parties.
Failure to do this will increase the vulnerability of our fragile democracy and subject it to the whims and caprices of overzealous and desperate politicians.
As Governorship and State Assemblies’ elections are billed to hold this Saturday, Governor Wike as the Chief Security Officer in the state is charged to douse the air of desperation surrounding the election and allow the free flow of the process.
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