Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has called on
churches in the state to pray for violence-free rerun elections on December 10.Speaking
during the 2016 Power Conference of the Assemblies of God Church yesterday at
the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt, Governor Wike said the prayers of the
church would help to make the elections free and fair.
The governor noted that it is also necessary for the
church members to troop out to vote candidates of their choice, saying
Christians must not stay away from determining who will be their
representatives.“I appeal to the church to pray for peaceful rerun
elections in our state. I also call on our people to come out in their numbers
to cast their votes,” he said.
Regardless, Chairman, All Progressives Congress
(APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has disclosed that the party under President
Muhammadu Buhari is putting measures in place to reduce election violence to
zero.The ruling party boss, who spoke in Abuja while
reacting to the relatively peaceful poll recorded during the Ondo State
governorship election, insisted that the emergence of the APC candidate, Chief
Rotimi Akeredolu was devoid of violence.
Oyegun said: “The president believes if the
processes of party primaries and elections were free and transparent, elections
would be violence free.”
He cited Kogi, Bayelsa, Edo and Ondo states
governorship elections as instances where elections were conducted recently in
a relatively free, fair and violence free manner, claiming that elections
conducted under the current administration have been adjudged violence free
that had characterised the previous elections.“The concern of Mr. President is that we must get to
a stage that we must avoid bloodshed from elections. So, for us, he insisted on
free and fair primaries and elections.
“Similarly, he insists that elections must be
violent free and so when we deploy heavy security presence, there is only one
objective and that is to ensure that the voting public are free from
intimidation. They can go out and vote their conscience,” he said.
However, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rivers
State chapter, has vowed to resist any attempt to use security agencies to
intimidate, harass and arrest its leaders before and during December 10 rerun
election in the state.
This was even as the PDP urged President Muhammadu
Buhari to call various security agents deployed to the state to order and the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the elections
are free and fair in order to avoid crisis.
State Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Samuel
Nwanosike, stated the position of PDP, yesterday, while briefing newsmen in
Port Harcourt.
Nwanosike, who alleged that attempts were made twice
to arrest him at the weekend, by security operatives, stated that he had
reported the development to relevant security agencies in the state.
He reiterated the position of PDP for a credible,
free and fair elections, but warned that INEC, security agencies should not
exhibit any act that would truncate the democratic process in the state.
Meanwhile, Kano State Governor and Chairman of All
Progressives Congress (APC) Tactical Committee for the rerun elections, Alhaji
Abdullahi Ganduje, has disclosed that his committee will need more strategic
planning to win in a difficult terrain like Rivers.
Admitting that Rivers State is a difficult
environment to win election, the Kano State governor, however expressed
confidence that the victories APC recorded so far would make its mission a
successful one.Commending members of the APC election committees,
describing them as great planners, he assured that the mission to Rivers State
for the rerun will not be a failed one.
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