L-R: Former Special Adviser to President Jonathan on National Assembly Matters, Sen Ben Obi, wife of the Late Tunji Braithwaite, Mrs Grace Braithwaite, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Mr Olumide Braithwaite, during a condolence visit by the Vice-President to the Tunji Braithwaite’s family in Lagos on Saturday.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr. Austin Tam-George, has asked officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to act within the law, and respect the free choices made by Rivers people in the recent rerun elections in the state.
Tam-George particularly warned an official of INEC, Mrs Amina Zakari and the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi to desist from subverting the electoral outcomes in Tai-Eleme Federal constituency, Ikwerre Local government and other constituencies in Rivers State, whose results are still being held by INEC in collusion with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
The Information Commissioner condemned, “the sickening desperation of the APC in wanting to impose its candidates on Rivers people, even when those candidates have been resoundingly defeated at the polls”.
Tam-George urged Rivers people to continue to strongly resist, by any legal means necessary, the fraudulent attempt being made by the APC and INEC to subvert democracy in Rivers State.
The information commissioner praised the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, for his inspirational and courageous leadership in saving the state from the APC’s politics of plunder and extremism.
Meanwhile, the re-elected lawmaker for Port Harcourt Federal Constituency 11, Hon. Blessing Boma Nsiegbe says the masses may revolt in 2019, if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fails to create the necessary environment for free and fair elections.
Nsiegbe, who said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, also described as misplaced, the call by the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for an outright cancellation of the rerun elections in the state.
The federal lawmaker said that, the experiences from the just-concluded rerun polls in the state show INEC was yet to come to terms with free and fair elections in the country.
According to her, the commission must re-orientate its officials on good conduct during elections, adding that, but for the intervention of God, INEC would have rigged the election in her constituency in favour of the APC.
The lawmaker also described the outcome of the rerun polls in the state as a triumph of good over evil, and called on members of the APC to forget the call for cancellation of the election as that is no longer possible.
Nsiegbe, however, stressed the need for the opposition party to join Governor Nyesom Wike to move the state forward as the interest of Rivers State must supercede personal and party interests.
According to her, the governor has shown exemplary leadership qualities though the construction of people-oriented projects, adding that the collective support of the people would make the governor to do more for the state.
She used the occasion to assure the people of Port Harcourt Federal Constituency 11 of her commitment to bringing dividends of democracy to them.