•We Are Satisfied With The Election – Amaechi’s Faction
Factions from the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress have rejected the conduct and outcome of the local government election, held on Saturday in the state.
The parties stated that no election was held in the state on Saturday.
Osun Defender reports that the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara sworn in the elected chairmen on Sunday.
But the Rivers PDP loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, described the poll as an exercise in futility, vowing to challenge it in court.
Speaking to The PUNCH hours after the election winners were sworn in, the state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kenneth Yowika, said the party would challenge the conduct of the poll in court.
‘’We are pressing further through the courts to ensure that justice is done and seen to have been done. So, we do not agree nor do we recognize if any swearing-in is taking place today (Sunday) or tomorrow (Monday),” he asserted.
Yowika said from the beginning, the ruling party in the state had insisted on the Federal High Court judgment barring the conduct of the council poll, pointing out that what the state government did was illegal.
Yowika said, “First of all everything concerning that issue is illegal. We have said it clearly that elections should not be held, you know, relying on the Federal High Court judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu.
“And I had said before this time that any action taken regarding the issue of the local government will be futile because if we say we are a country that stands by the rule of law, then we should not be doing things that are contrary to the law.
“The law had said do things that will be in line with the judgment of the Federal High Court and the Government of the day has not obeyed that.
“So, we are a law-abiding party. We are not going to come out physically to begin to fight. We had a protest yesterday (Saturday) clearly showing that there was no election.
“And we stand by that decision that we have taken that there was no election, and we wait for the judiciary and other arms of government that should put things in proper perspective to act. We continue to hold on that there was no election.”
Continuing, he said, “We visited the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission yesterday and clearly, the world saw that there was no election there. So, we stand by the ruling of the Federal High Court which said that that election should not go on.
“Well, they went ahead to do whatever charade people saw and that is not acceptable by the Peoples Democratic Party. Like we said we are a law-abiding party, and we stand to remain that.”
Similarly, the Publicity Secretary of the Chief Tony Okocha-led APC, Chibuike Ikenga, insisted on the Federal High Court judgment which restrained the state government from conducting the poll.
Ikenga also said the swearing-in of the election winners ‘is neither here nor there,’ saying the party is pressing further through with the law.
“As a party, we insist on obeying the decisions of the Federal High Court under Justice Peter Lifu. And that is the reason why we did not acknowledge that any election ever took place. But the government is known for disobedience of court order went ahead. So, they are on their own.
“Our position is that you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand. So, whether anybody has been sworn in or not is secondary, we are not aware and we are not interested in whether it is taking place today (Sunday) or tomorrow (Monday).
“We are pressing further through the courts to ensure that justice is done and seen to have been done. So, we do not agree nor do we recognize if any swearing-in is taking place today or tomorrow,’’ he stated.
Asked if the party will return to the court based on the latest developments, he said, ‘’The state government already took the matter to the Court of Appeal where they asked for a stay and the stay was refused. So, the matter is on at the Court of Appeal.”
However, the APC loyal to the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the election, saying it would not contest the outcome.
Chizi Enyi, who is the Chief of Staff to the APC Chairman, Emeka Beke, said the party did not lose out because it won a councillor slot.
“The APC won the council slot. We are satisfied with the election held. Our biggest worry was those who said the election should not be held. So, we accept the outcome and we will not litigate it,” he said.
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The Rivers State Commissioner for Environment and immediate past Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Sydney Gbara, also expressed satisfaction with the election, describing it as the freest and fairest election in the history of the state.
Gbara said, “Yes, I’m very satisfied and I can tell you that this is the freest and fairest and most peaceful election that has been conducted in Rivers State so far. The most striking thing about the election is that there was no police security yet everywhere was peaceful. That is the most interesting thing about the election.
“This is the best election that Rivers people came all out to participate in because they know that their future depends on yesterday’s election.”
Asked why he was excited even though his party did not win any slot, he said the interest of the state is paramount.
Gbara stated, “It is unfortunate that my party withdrew from the contest but as a Rivers man, the interest of the state supersedes any other interest, any personal or individual or group interest.
“For me, it is a step of liberation for the Rivers people and it is a day we have all been waiting for.”
