- Governor Nyesom Wike has been a consistent critic of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
- This has attracted the attention of a civil society group, Citizens Centre for Democratic Governance
- The group asked the governor to focus on his job as the chief executive of Rivers state and allow INEC carry out its duties
A civil society group, Citizens Centre for Democratic Governance has urged the Rivers state governor, Chief Nyesome Wike to concentrate on the governance of his state and allow INEC focus on its task of ensuring a free and credible 2019 elections.
The group expressed concern over what it described as persisting insistence by Governor Wike to cast aspersions on the credibility of the electoral body and the 2019 election.
According to a statement sent to NAIJ.com by its national coordinator, Anthony Osagbemi, the group said that the governor continues to raise unnecessary alarm about the 2019 election without necessary evidence to back his claims.
The group ased Governor Wike to focus on governance in Rivers state than meddling in INEC affairs. Photo credit: Government House, Port Harcourt
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The group alleged that with his consistent criticisms, Governor Wike might be setting the stage for another round of violence, recalling that “it was this same tactics he deployed in the court ordered re-run election in Rivers state, which led to his orchestration of brutal violence that led to the death of an INEC ad-hoc staff and the maiming of another.”
According to Osagbemi, the quote by the INEC chairman that only votes will count in any election conducted by INEC under his watch continues to bear fruit, as evidence has indeed shown that elections are consistently getting better in all the states where they have so far been conducted.
He said the era where politicians bribe INEC officials to rig elections is far gone, as the commission under this current leadership is very determined to improve the electoral process.
He said: “Governor Wike must understand now that his crude mannerism will not deter this INEC chairman from sustaining the ongoing reforms of the electoral process. Perhaps he is afraid that he might not be able to use the Resident Electoral Commissioner to his advantage as usual.”
Similarly, a coalition of Civil Society Organisations have slammed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following comments by the party that Nigerians have lost confidence in the current leadership of INEC.
The CSOs comprising the Center for Public Accountability, National Frontiers, Citizens Centre for Democratic Governance and National Democratic Vanguard, said the PDP has no moral justification for such calls.
“We do not think that PDP is fair, without any credible evidence, to accuse the INEC of complicity in encouraging underage voting or manipulating the voters register. Nor does the party stand on any higher moral ground to pass a vote of no confidence on the INEC chair,” the groups said in a statement sent to NAIJ.com on Tuesday, April 3.
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Source: Naija.ng