Twenty-four out of 29 political parties in Rivers State have said they
would not present any candidate against the State Governor, Nyesom Wike,
should there be a rerun of the 2015 governorship election.
The State Election Petition Tribunal had on October 24, 2015, nullified Wike’s election, citing non-substantial compliance of the election to the Electoral Act.
But speaking under the aegis of the Inter-Party Advisory Council in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the political parties explained that though they were not expecting a rerun, they would not vie against the current governor of the state.
IPAC Public Relations Officer and the State Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr. Favour Reuben, who briefed newsmen after the group’s meeting in Port Harcourt, restated that the call for a rerun was unnecessary, adding that the election in Rivers was free and fair.
Reuben expressed dissatisfaction over the ruling of the tribunal that nullified Wike’s election, describing the judgement as a miscarriage of justice.
“We are saying here that we will not present any governorship candidate against Governor Nyesom Wike should there be a rerun because we believe that he won in a free and fair contest.
“We unequivocally restate our earlier vote of confidence passed on our legitimate and authentic Executive Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, CON, on the 9th day of October during our solidarity visit to the governor in Government House, Port Harcourt.
“A curious precedence of gross miscarriage of justice, akin to ‘different strokes for different folks’ became the order of the day in a circumstance which bore similar particulars with the case of Rivers State as pertaining to the non-use of card reader, wherefore it was okay for the sake of the APC, it was not acceptable to Hon. Justice Mohammed Ambrosa because it is the PDP at the receiving end.
“In summary, we members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC) do hereby state that the April 11, 2015 governorship election took place in Rivers State under a peaceful and safe atmosphere in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act,” Reuben said.
However, the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party were absent at the IPAC’s meeting.
The State Election Petition Tribunal had on October 24, 2015, nullified Wike’s election, citing non-substantial compliance of the election to the Electoral Act.
But speaking under the aegis of the Inter-Party Advisory Council in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the political parties explained that though they were not expecting a rerun, they would not vie against the current governor of the state.
IPAC Public Relations Officer and the State Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr. Favour Reuben, who briefed newsmen after the group’s meeting in Port Harcourt, restated that the call for a rerun was unnecessary, adding that the election in Rivers was free and fair.
Reuben expressed dissatisfaction over the ruling of the tribunal that nullified Wike’s election, describing the judgement as a miscarriage of justice.
“We are saying here that we will not present any governorship candidate against Governor Nyesom Wike should there be a rerun because we believe that he won in a free and fair contest.
“We unequivocally restate our earlier vote of confidence passed on our legitimate and authentic Executive Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, CON, on the 9th day of October during our solidarity visit to the governor in Government House, Port Harcourt.
“A curious precedence of gross miscarriage of justice, akin to ‘different strokes for different folks’ became the order of the day in a circumstance which bore similar particulars with the case of Rivers State as pertaining to the non-use of card reader, wherefore it was okay for the sake of the APC, it was not acceptable to Hon. Justice Mohammed Ambrosa because it is the PDP at the receiving end.
“In summary, we members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC) do hereby state that the April 11, 2015 governorship election took place in Rivers State under a peaceful and safe atmosphere in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act,” Reuben said.
However, the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party were absent at the IPAC’s meeting.
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