Leaders and members of 85 political parties in Rivers State have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conclude the result collation it suspended on March 10 and declare the results of the March 9 governorship and House of Assembly elections.
The party faithful, which marched on the streets of Port Harcourt yesterday, also celebrated Governor Nyesom Wike’s re-election and admonished INEC to declare him winner and issue him a Certificate of Return.
The protesters, under the aegis of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), gathered at the Isaac Boro Park in Port Harcourt, for a “Peace Walk”.
They carried placards, chanted pro-Wike songs, while insisting that their votes should not be manipulated. They also passed a vote of confidence in the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Obo Effanga.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards read “”Army, stop disrupting collation process in Rivers State”; “Army, please allow INEC conclude collation process”; “Rivers people overwhelmingly voted for Wike on March 9”; “We shall continue to defend our votes”; “Obo Effanga is a professional and we are confident of his capacity to deliver”.
IPAC Chairman Precious Baridoo said: “Let the election process continue in Rivers State. We are telling INEC to follow through with the process. We condemn calls by a few persons that the REC be removed. We want him to continue and conclude his job.
“Nothing should be done outside the law because the INEC’s process is constitutional and it must be allowed to take place. It should be done normally for the peaceful co-existence of Rivers State.”
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