A group of election observers accredited by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to observe the governorship and other elections in Rivers State in the recently concluded 2019 General Elections, has said that the result which had Governor Nyesom Wike as the winner of the governorship election in Rivers State was a reflection of the will and mandate of the people of the state.
Leader of the coalition of INEC Accredited Election Observers 2019, in Rivers State, Ambassador Emmanuel Nkweke, who stated this in a press conference on Monday said that the total number of votes polled by Governor Nyesom Wike, who was the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), when compared to votes received by the governorship candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), showed that it was the will and mandate of the people of the state that Governor Wike should be reelected.
He said: “In every election, there is total registered voters, rejected voters and total vote cast. If you check the margin of lead between PDP and AAC, you will realize that PDP has the highest number of the total vote cast as against the (party’s) rival from the AAC. In an election of this nature, you will use figures and analysis to arrive at your summation. For us as observers, we are saying that what had been declared is a reflection of the will and mandate of the people of Rivers State in favour of the People’s Democratic Party”.
Nkweke said that there was a large voter turnout in the election but noted that the election was marred by violence, thuggery and involvement of the military in the electoral process.
He scored the INEC 50 per cent in the way it conducted the election but said that INEC should do better in subsequent elections in the state.
He stated that the suspension of the electoral process in Rivers State, before the resumption of the collation process by INEC, was in the best interest of the state.
He appealed to political parties in the state to accept the result of the governorship election as announced by the INEC, and prepare for future elections.
He said that it was the group’s recommendation that political sensitization should be “holistic and deep-rooted” to involve all stakeholders across the twenty-three local government areas of the state in subsequent elections.
He also said that the military should be professional when they are engaged for any election duty in subsequent elections, saying that security agencies should be properly trained on their civic duties in an election.
