By Simeon Nwakaudu
When Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike on Thursday, July 21, 2016 alerted the country of a secret meeting between the INEC National Chairman and the Rivers State APC Chairman, Davies Ikanya and Senator Magnus Abe on the forthcoming rerun elections in Rivers State, Rivers APC through her officials vehemently denied that no such meeting took place.
Despite Rivers APC denial that the meeting held, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has admitted that the meeting took place, confirming that Rivers State APC true to their nature lied about the questionable meeting. INEC in trying to justify the unfortunate incident described it as: “routine”.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Deputy Director, Voter Education and Publicity in INEC, Mr Nick Dazang on Friday that the meeting held but that it was a routine.
He said that it was INEC’s policy to meet with leadership of political parties involved in elections.
“The INEC Chairman with three National Commissioners and two directors met with a delegation of the APC led by its Deputy National Chairman. The meeting was routine and was earlier requested by the leadership of that party.”
The discordant tunes by the two groups at the secret meeting at the office of the INEC National Chairman makes the entire issue quite suspicious. There is no level of explanation that will justify a referee holding a closed door meeting with one team before a crucial match.
This is more worrisome because the Rivers APC had formally requested that the July 30, 2016 rerun elections be postponed on the ground of security challenges. A few days after that request, the INEC office in Bori was set ablaze to give INEC the official reason to postpone the rerun elections.
That the arson in Bori was planned by the Rivers APC can be gleaned from the report published by the APC’S official medium, The Nation. It was obvious from the report written by their Port Harcourt based hatchet man, Bisi Olaniyi ,p that the party planned to bomb the office.
It is obvious that The Nation reporter received earlier information that the INEC office would be bombed rather than the arson that the APC supporters eventually carried out. It is most regrettable that Rivers APC and her media agents would go to this despicable low to push for postponement for rerun elections because of the fear of defeat.
Those in Rivers State are aware that the APC is not campaigning in any constituency where the rerun will be held. I saw one of their explanations where they claimed that they have experienced the futility of campaigns, hence they have chosen to achieve victory through other sources.
The only other source available would be to attempt to rig the elections. This is what the people of the state have vowed to resist. They insist that every vote must count.
For Governor Wike and the PDP, the rerun elections must go on as scheduled. The people must be allowed to exercise their franchise and have their representatives at the National and State Assemblies.
Governor Wike has already visited the burnt INEC office were he made Pro-People pronouncements. The Rivers State Government will rebuild the office, but in the interim, it will provide an alternative accommodation for INEC in Bori where it will conduct the rerun elections.
Thankfully, no election materials have been deposited at the office before the arson. Therefore, there is no reason for anyone to shift the date of the polls.
He said: “Those who burnt this office were not ready for the elections. They don’t want INEC to conduct the elections because they know that they don’t have the chances of winning.
“They want to use the issue of security to justify the request for postponement. If not, INEC has not brought election materials to this office. What they have done is to scare INEC. ”
He added: “For us, we are not surprised. We know this is what they have planned to do.”
He advised INEC not to be deterred by the arson. He noted that the commission should go ahead with the elections as scheduled.
The governor directed the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the crime. He advised politicians not to see elections as a do or die affair, saying that they must submit themselves to the will of the people.
He said: “We will make sure that this does not dampen the spirit of INEC. I have directed the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Local Government Area to immediately rebuild the burnt office”.
I am surprised that the Rivers APC have continued to promote rigging as an alternative. Each time Governor Wike preaches against rigging, they start throwing tantrums. Rather than apologise to the people for wasting N3 trillion in 8 years and taking concrete steps to show practical remorse, the party continues to grand-stand in the vain hope that they will be forgiven.
Rigging has no place in the political equation of Rivers State. Those who plot to rig must first consider the consequences before engaging in the venture. There is no APC in Rivers State. If it exists, then it is on the pages of a few pliant newspapers and electronic news outlets.