THE Rivers State legislative election rerun elections have since been held but controversy still trails the election that was marred by violence in some areas, leading to cancellation of elections in such areas. However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) suspended announcement of results in the areas where elections held, thus prolonging the suspense. The electoral umpire hinged its decision on insecurity. In the results released so far, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state trounced its main opposition, the All Progressives Congress (APC). The PDP clinched nine out of the ten. Though INEC later released three more results in which PDP won two seats, leaving one seat for the APC, the INEC seems not in a hurry to release the remaining results. This has given room to apprehension that something sinister is cooking and a chieftain of the PDP Chief Peter Aniekwe believes that the only way INEC could prove its integrity and neutrality is to release the remaining results without further delay. He spoke with Tony Iwuoma.
What is your reaction to the Rivers state election rerun?
Obviously, the election has been conducted. Yes, there was tension in the state during the election and even before it and up till now. But to a very large extent, the election was peaceful in most of the areas despite provocations. People refused to be intimidated, as they trooped out en masse to reenact the victory they had earlier given to their darling party, the PDP, before it was truncated through court process. Given that the entire state was militarised by the orchestration of the APC, Rivers people refused to be cowed and came out to cast their votes. The PDP was already coasting home to a landslide victory before INEC came up with this abracadabra of suspending announcement of the results, giving flimsy excuses.
So, you don’t believe there was enough threat to warrant suspension of results?
There are crises in a few places, which made INEC cancel elections in those places even though I believe elections could have successfully held there. If INEC held elections in some areas, what now stopped it from announcing the results? Let’s assume it was right in suspending the announcement in Port Harcourt because of alleged insecurity then, what has stopped it from announcing it since they returned to their more secure and safe place? This is nothing but a game plan of the APC to manipulate the election but it has failed already. The results so far released have shown clearly that the APC has no hope. They came from Abuja, backed by military force but the arm of the flesh failed them; because the people’s spirit was resolute and determined to stand their ground. APC was roundly trounced in the rerun election and they cannot get good result through the back door. It is, therefore, a duty for INEC to do the right thing by announcing the results forthwith. This is the only way it can salvage what is left of its integrity if it ever had any. The era of Abuja politicians dictating what happens in their home states is long gone. It is also an opportunity for the president, who has so far distanced himself from the underhand dealings of his party men, to step in and let the right thing be done. It will be to his credit to do so because no reasonable person would easily deduce from the results so far announced where the pendulum swings. In any case, is it not that we are merely waiting for official announcement? Were the results not announced at polling centres? I tell you, the results are known and no magmago can steal PDP’s victory. Unfortunately, the non-release of the results has shortchanged Rivers people, denying them of effective representation.
The processes leading to the rerun elections were so fierce that many doubted if PDP had any chance. What is the party’s backbone?
The party derives its strength from the people and the Almighty God. The party has a covenant with the people to reclaim the lost glory of the state. That was exactly what Governor Nyesom Wike set out to do immediately he was sworn into office. The PDP government has brought a lot of democracy dividends, which have built so much goodwill for the party; the people are not likely to throw all this away for a tumble in the unknown. The governor’s efforts were not lost on the people, as much as they too were aware of the hawks and predators lurking around. They realised that a governor without the majority backing of the legislature is a lame duck, especially when it became apparent that the APC already had plans in place to impeach the governor if they win control of the state House of Assemnly and so, Rivers people made up their minds to ensure that the PDP did not only win majority seats in the state legislature but also produced Rivers representatives at the National Assembly. To a large extent, people’s support is PDP’s backbone; this and inviolable trust in the never-failing God.
Does not the PDP government feel concerned about the bloodletting in the state?
Of course, the party is worried about it; every right-thinking person should feel concerned. Each time one person is killed; it is not only a loss to the bereaved family but also additional loss to the state. The government is doing all it can to stem the tide of violent crime in the state. However, it is wrong to blame the government for it or to describe Rivers as deadliest state in Nigeria. More blood has flown in other parts of the country than Rivers but this sad episode is not for comparison anyway. One death is sad enough. Apart from activities of cults, some people believe that if the state is kept perpetually on the boil, President Buhari would declare state of emergency in the state, thereby giving them what they could not achieve through the ballot, through the back door. But it s not as simple as they think. Thankfully, Buhari is too intelligent to be easily deceived. Moreover, no one knows where such declaration can lead and, so, the idea must never be contemplated.