Wike, Rivers REC, Obo Effanga Conspire to rob Rivers Voters Again – David Okumgba

David Okumgba, the South South Zonal Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has warned that Rivers people will resist attempts by the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of Rivers State, Obo Effanga to thwart their right to choose who would govern them.

He made the declaration over the weekend, after a stakeholders meeting between INEC and politicians in Port Harcourt.

Okumgba expressed concern that INEC could decide to proceed with the suspended electoral process despite pending court cases and violation of the Electoral Act, which clearly states that electoral processes should be concluded 21 days after its commencement.

A statement made available to Africa Update reads: ‘The resolve by the Independent National Electoral commission, INEC, to resume electoral activities for the completion of outstanding 2019 General Elections in Rivers State, is not only unimaginable, but completely against the tenets of fairness and transparency.
‘We have watched with dismay the display of impunity and connivance, between the Rivers State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Obo Effanga and the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and we are at a loss to witness such fraternity, where an umpire in an electoral process will openly conspire with an aspirant to rob the good people of the State, the power to choose who would govern them.
‘Despite this unholy alliance, we were looking forward to a meaningful Stakeholders meeting on Saturday March 30, 2019, with INEC officials, but to our chagrin the INEC officials announced their intention to commence with a flawed electoral process 21 days after its suspension rather than cancelling such grossly compromised results.
‘Not only is this against the Electoral Act, which stipulates that electoral process should be concluded within 21 days after its commencement, proceeding with the Rivers election activities on 2nd April (days after the twenty-one [21] days allowed by law), makes the process unlawful with the Osun governorship elections tribunal case as legal precedence.
‘We were petrified when despite legal precedence on similar matters involving other states were swept under the carpet and INEC proceeded with the charade, eager to implement the script written by Wike to ensure his return to power.
‘We want to state that the so called stakeholders meeting is a sham and whatever process that would follow such despicable action will be resisted because stakeholders were not allowed access into the venue, while Wike and members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, did not only have access, they took charge of the meeting and presented their agenda which the Rivers State INEC is implementing to ensure the return of Wike to the Brick House.
‘We expect INEC to announce a new date for a fresh election, and not the continuation of a process that is highly flawed and drips with streaks of bias. The authenticity of the collated results for 17 Local Government Areas, is highly questionable due to INEC’s custody of the said results and several court cases pending on the Rivers elections.
‘We have it on good authority that Certificate of Return have been prepared in favour of Wike and PDP candidates for the State House of Assembly. The move by INEC to continue with a stakeholders meeting that was compromised has further given credence to this rumour.
‘Those who participated in the botched election, are aware that the candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Biokpomabo Awara, was in the lead from the results the various EOs released from the LGA RAC centres, before INEC suspended the process.
‘We are worried that the results which ought to have been announced by the REC Obo Effanga, or moved to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, in company of the various party agents, was carted away and kept a secret only to surface 21 days after.
‘The attempt by INEC to replay what occurred last year, when the announcement of results for the Port Harcourt Constituency 3, was suspended because it was clear that APC was sailing to victory, will fail.
‘Rivers people are wiser and will do everything possible to protect their votes and resist any attempt by Effanga and his cohorts to thwart their right to choose who would govern them,’ he noted.