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Tag: Wike

  • Wike, others know fate as INEC weighs four options on Rivers polls today

    …as PDP expresses confidence to win supplementary polls

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the African Action Congress (AAC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other parties will today know their fate on the stalemated governorship poll in Rivers State.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) has summoned a meeting of its management to receive and consider the report of a fact-finding team it sent to the Southsouth state.

    The electoral body may receive also the report on its investigation into the disruption of the poll in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

    But top on the list of issues before INEC, as at last night, is the suspended election in Rivers State.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The panel on Rivers State will on Friday submit its report to INEC management. Thereafter, the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and his team will consider the findings and make a pronouncement.

    “We are aware of the interest which the suspension of the elections in Rivers State has generated and we want to resolve it as soon as possible.”

    There are four options before INEC peculiar to the Rivers governorship poll. They are:

    • whether or not to cancel the governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers State;
    • Restricted conduct of elections only in units, wards or areas affected by violence.
    • Announcement of collated or retrieved results if the security situation does not permit a fresh poll;
    • declaring the results as it were and leaving the aggrieved to go to the tribunal.

    According to the source, any delay in taking a decision may lead to a constitutional crisis in the state.

    “INEC will be fair, just, equitable and it will be guided by the Electoral Act, 2010( as amended) in its decision on Rivers State.

    “The panel has concluded its assignment. Were it not for the issuance of Certificates of Return to senators and Representatives-elect, we would have considered the report on Rivers on Thursday (yesterday).”

    A statement last Sunday by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Festus Okoye, said: “The commission has decided to suspend all electoral processes in Rivers State until further notice.

    “This is in line with Section 26 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and Clause 47(e) of the regulations and guidelines of the commission.”

    As at press time, it was gathered that the team which investigated the disruption of the collation and cancellation of results in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State had concluded its assignment.

    “We will look at the findings of this committee to guide the conduct of supplementary elections in the state on March 23,” the source said.

    The two leading parties – APC and PDP – have started preparations for the make-up poll ordered in six states on March 23.

    The national leadership of the PDP said yesterday that the party was set for the supplementary poll in states where the elections were declared inconclusive.

    The states are: Kano, Bauchi, Benue, Sokoto, Adamawa and Plateau.

    Rising from an emergency National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja yesterday, the party should demanded that INEC release the results of the elections in those states and make returns as appropriate.

    In a statement after the emergency meeting, PDP spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan insisted that the party was in clear lead in the states where the poll was declared inconclusive.

    He accused INEC Chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu of bias, citing “the results of the governorship election in Ogun State where the APC candidate was declared winner even when the margin of lead between him and the runner up was lower than the number of cancelled votes”.

    The main opposition party regretted that INEC denied victory for PDP governorship candidates who found themselves in similar circumstances in the affected states.

    The statement reads: “The PDP found it strange that INEC can have two sets of rules in the same election for the various political parties.

    “More worrisome is the resolution which arose from a meeting between some governors of the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari, where the PDP has been informed that a decision was taken to seize Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Plateau, Sokoto and Kano states in the March 23 scheduled supplementary election.”

    The PDP said it had deliberated and interfaced with stakeholders from the various states where governorship supplementary elections have been scheduled to hold.

    It added that following the deliberations, the party had mandated all its members to resist any attempt by anybody to tamper with the will of the people in their states.

    The PDP said it was sure of victory in the affected states.

  • I’m not behind arrest of Wike’s commissioner – Peterside

    I’m not behind arrest of Wike’s commissioner – Peterside

    The Deputy Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Dr Dakuku Peterside, has stated that he is not behind the arrest of Rivers Commissioner for Education, Dr. Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja, and he never led security personnel to pick Gogo-Jaja.

    He also described as reckless and baseless, the insinuations that he was planning to disrupt today’s governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers state.

    Peterside, who is also the Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), stated this yesterday in an online statement by his media team.

    Governor Nyesom Wike’s education commissioner and his driver were arrested in Port Harcourt on Wednesday evening by troops of 6 Division, Nigerian Army, with incriminating items found on them.

    Gogo-Jaja, a former Majority Leader of Rivers House of Assembly, who hails from riverine Opobo, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers state, was arrested with his driver in his residence at Government Reservation Area (GRA), Phase 3, Port Harcourt, paraded at 6 division on Thursday and handed over to Rivers Police Command for further investigation and possible prosecution.

    Peterside, also an indigene of Opobo, the ancient Kingdom of the great King Jaja, noted that it was ridiculous for him to be accused by enemies of progress of distributing fake army uniforms, arms and ammunition to thugs, allegedly with the aim of disrupting today’s polls in Rivers.

    He insisted that he had been mobilising Rivers people ahead of Saturday’s elections and that only irresponsible people could have concocted the lies.

    The APC chieftain said: “Rivers people know me as a peaceful person. I am proud of my heritage and Opobo/Nkoro LGA’s people love me, because of my antecedents.

    “Associating me with evil deeds is not only reckless; it is the handiwork of jobless people and a jittery pay master who is afraid of his own past misdeeds.

    “Despite belonging to different political leaning, Gogo-Jaja remains my brother and friend. I have no reason to hurt or harm him. I will never be part of such plot.

    “I have never been associated with violence and would never support such. I am a man of peace and decent engagement. Only those who have skeletons in their cupboards are now looking for whom to pull down.”

    The NIMASA chief also called on Rivers people to ignore the fake stories, declaring that he had no reason to cause mayhem, while reiterating that he had always won his home LGA.

    Peterside pleaded with Rivers people to be peaceful ahead of Saturday’s polls and cooperate with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to ensure smooth elections.

  • Court dismisses birth certificate forgery suit against Wike

    The Federal High Court, Abuja on Friday dismissed the suit filed by one Elvis Chinda seeking to disqualify Rivers governor, Mr Nyesom Wike from contesting the March 9 governorship election.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo dismissed the suit while delivering judgment in a suit filed by Chinda asking the court to disqualify Wike.

    Chinda had in the suit, asked the court to disqualify Wike from contesting the election on the grounds that the birth certificate he presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) was forged.

    Justice Ekwo in his judgment noted that Wike did not have immunity from being sued on an election related matter as has been argued by his counsel, Mr Ferdinand Orbih, (SAN).

    The judge held that the suit was purely a pre- election matter as the reliefs sought by the plaintiff was to disqualify Wike from contesting an election.

    Justice Ekwo maintained that being a pre-election matter, the suit was status barred because it was not commenced within the 14 days stipulated by law.

    The judge opined that the plaintiff’s position that the cause of action arose on Nov.13 2018 when he obtained a Certified True Copy of the INEC document containing the forged birth certificate, was strange to him.

    According to the judge, the cause of action arose when the plaintiff had reasonable grounds to believe that Wike submitted a forged birth certificate to INEC.

    ” As at March 7, 2018 when he applied to INEC for the document he had reasonable grounds to believe that the document was forged. “

    The judge further described the suit as an abuse of court process noting that an appeal on a similar subject matter was pending before the Court of Appeal.

    He also noted that in that appeal, the plaintiff’s counsel was the plaintiff and condemned such practice and described it as a misconduct on the part of the lawyer.

    The judge said that the plaintiff had failed to prove the allegation that Wike forged his birth certificate beyond reasonable doubt.

    He added that the burden of proof was with the plaintiff and not with defendants.

    Chinda had in the originating summons filed by his lawyer, Mr Achinike William-Wobodo urged the court to determine whether:

    “The Certificate of Birth (Statutory Declaration of Age) attached to Wike’s Form C.F.001 presented to INEC, purportedly deposed to on Oct.3, 1986 by one Collins Wike from Obio / Okpor Local Government Area of Rivers was forged.”

    He had argued that as at 1986 Obio / Okpor Local Government Area was not in existence because the local government in question was created in 1989 by Decree No. 12 of 1989, two years after the alleged forgery was committed.

    He further told the court that Wike had maintained consistency of the forged document by presenting same to INEC since 1989 .

    William- Wobodo, however, told newsmen that his client would appeal the judgment, Orbih expressed satisfaction with the judgment saying it had vindicated their position.

  • Rivers govt sets up committee on election violence victims

    Rivers govt sets up committee on election violence victims

    Rivers State Government has set up a committee to identify those killed during the Presidential and National Assembly elections in Abonnema, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area.

    The Committee also has the responsibility of identifying the soldiers who died during the Presidential and National Assembly elections and March 2, 2019. The high-powered committee is headed by the State Deputy Governor, Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo.
    Speaking during a memorial service in honour of Abonnema people and soldiers who died on 23rd February and March 2, 2019 at St Paul’s Nyemoni Church on Wednesday, Governor Wike said that the committee will have the responsibility of also identifying the bereaved families.
    He said: “A committee headed by the Deputy Governor will identify those who died and their families. Government will give them necessary assistance.

    “The committee will also identify damaged property affected by the election crisis, so that the Rivers State Government will offer the required assistance for their repair”.
    The governor said that the Rivers State Deputy Governor will lead a high-profile delegation to the Nigerian Army to commiserate with them on the death of their personnel during the Presidential and National Assembly elections and on March 2, 2019 at Abonnema.
    He commiserated with the bereaved families in Abonnema and the families of the soldiers who died during the elections. The Governor prayed God to comfort them.
    The Governor condemned politicians who promote political violence, saying that they should be compelled to present their children to execute political violence.
    “I appeal to politicians to understand that power comes from God. Those who forment trouble should be asked to bring their grown up children to execute political violence.
    “God has done it for Abonnema and Rivers State. We will have peace. I urge all leaders to work with the Traditional Council to bring peace. Take all necessary measures for peace to reign. The Rivers State Government will support you “, he said.

    Governor Wike urged Rivers people not to be provoked despite the antics of those determined to cause crisis during the Governorship and State Assembly elections.
    The Governor appealed to security agencies not to allow politicians to use them to cause violence or disrupt voting on Saturday

    He berated the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi for describing the peaceful town of Abonnema as the hideout of militants .
    The Amayanabo of Abonnema, King Disrael Bob-Manuel said that the Akuku-Toru Local Government Traditional Council got intelligence that there might be violence during Presidential and National Assembly elections and took measures to forestall it. He said one of the major political parties refused to sign the peace accord.

    He said that ahead of the Governorship and State Assembly elections, the Traditional Council would hold another peace meeting on Thursday where a peace accord will be signed. He said any political party that fails to sign would be held responsible should violence break out.
    The Amayanabo of Abonnema said the Abonnema people have learnt the bitter lesson and they will ensure that the ugly incident does not happen again

    In his sermon, Pastor Christopher Briggs urged the people of Abonnema to come to God in repentance so that he will cleanse their land for the good of the area.
    He said that Abonnema couldn’t have suffered the type of crisis if the people had learnt from history.
    Prayers were said to seek God’s protection for Akuku-Toru Local Government Area and Rivers State during the Governorship and State Assembly elections. Prayers were also said for the repose of the souls of all those who died on 23rd February and 2nd March of March, 2019.

    It will be recalled that violence broke out in Abonnema during the Presidential and National Assembly leading to several deaths and the disruption of the elections.

  • Court fixes date for judgement on Wike’s alleged birth certificate forgery case

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed March 8 to deliver judgement in a suit seeking to disqualify Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State from contesting the March 9 governorship election.

    The Plaintiff, Elvis Chinda filed the suit in 2018 praying the court to interpret certain sections of the Electoral Act.

    Chinda, specifically sought interpretation to the sections which dealt with presentation of forged documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by aspirants seeking clearance to contest elections.

    When the matter was called on Tuesday, counsel to the plaintiff and respondent adopted their written addresses and adumbrated on their respective positions on the matter.

    The plaintiff’s counsel, Achinike William-Wobodo urged the court to determine whether the birth Certificate (Statutory Declaration of Age) attached to Mr Wike’s Form C.F.001 presented to INEC, was forged.

    He urged the court grant the reliefs sought by his client because “a document that lied against itself is forged.”

    The counsel said as at 1986 when the certificate was allegedly obtained, Obio/ Akpor Local Government Areas of Rivers was not in existence.

    William-Wobodo said the local government in question was created in 1989 by Decree No 12 of 1989, two years after the alleged forgery was committed.

    He also alleged that Wike had maintained consistency of the forged document and had presented same to the election commission in 1989.

    He alleged that the plaintiff obtained the document from INEC just a week before he filed the action, so the issue of being statute barred did not arise because he had brought the action within time.

    On his part, counsel to INEC, Wale Ajayi, did not respond to the plaintiff’s originating summons but filed a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit.

    He urged the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that it lacked jurisdiction.

    Wike’s lawyer, Ferdinand Orbih (SAN) also prayed the court to dismiss the suit for lack of jurisdiction.

    He said the suit was statue barred, as it was filed outside the 14 days allowed by the fourth alteration to the 1999 Constitution as amended.

    Orbih also argued that the deponent of said the forged certificate of birth was not joined in the suit.

    Justice Ekwo, after listening to the submissions of counsel, adjourned the matter until March 8 for judgment.

  • Stop blaming APC for your failures, Amaechi tells Wike

    “…Why avoid an election if you are popular”

    The leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi has admonished the state governor, Nyesom Wike to accept his failure as the chief security officer of the state and quit trying to pin acts of violence on the APC.

    Amaechi spoke at a press briefing in Port Harcourt, Thursday addressing Wike’s ‘malignant and calculated outburst’ alleging that the APC intends to visit violence on the state. Governor Wike had in his state broadcast on Thursday evening accused Amaechi and the APC of plotting to incite violence in the State. Wike also tried to make political capital of the stampede that led to the death of some persons at the APC Presidential rally in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

    Amaechi said, “I listened to our governor today. Again, like the child he is, rant and say we intend to visit violence on the people. All of you who have worked with me would know that I don’t like violence, because if you kill someone, you cannot replace him, you can’t bring him back to life. You can replace houses, you can replace cars and all that… You certainly can’t replace life.

    “We lost 15 persons. I was touring people’s houses, trying to identify with their pain. If the governor can remember when President Goodluck Jonathan came here and we lost 23 Nigerians in Rivers State, the same stampede, I couldn’t eat. I was watching them take lunch, I couldn’t, I was crying because those 23 persons are gone whether for good or bad just like these 15 persons will not come back. So I’ve never and I will never support violence. But I don’t also support injustice.

    Amaechi wondered why Wike is ‘trying so hard to avoid elections and enlisting different institutions to aid his cause. He also called on INEC to exonerate itself from being accused of trying to help the PDP by doing the needful and obey the stay of execution order by the court of appeal and relist Rivers APC and its candidates for the elections.

    “An example is the fact that there is a stay of execution granted by the court of appeal in Port Harcourt. Just because the INEC chairman was the head of TETFUND under Wike when he was a minister of education, he has refused to implement that judgement. He doesn’t have the right to choose which one to implement and which one not to implement. Obviously, he’s among the institutions trying to assist Wike become a second term governor without election. We understand, but again, we believe in the judiciary, the uprightness of the judiciary, I hope so, and you heard the President when he said that the injustice will be addressed.

    “Why is Wike avoiding an election if he is that popular, why is Wike using Magnus Abe to avoid an election? That’s the question to ask. But like I told Rivers people, it is not over until its over. We are going to go out on Saturday to vote President Buhari. If INEC decides to obey the stay of execution, then we are ready for the legislative election on Saturday. But if the INEC chairman will not obey the stay of execution because he was a worked under Wike in the Ministry of education then so be it… We’ll continue to pursue the rights of the people to choose who their leaders will be. You can’t force a leader on people,” Amaechi said.

    On the issue of violence, Amaechi continued, “Wike talked about violence. During my time as governor, you were free to go out at night, I drive out with just one car at night and go back home safe, but now as minister I can’t drive around without loads of security and he is happy to be a governor in that kind of state. As a governor, no minister can threaten me, so if he feels threatened, he should stop me, he has the executive powers to. Wike asked that they arrest me when he was a minister and you know that the brigade commander then came after me. “

    In contrast, he said, “Now nobody has been arrested because of election. In 2015 all APC leaders were in detention. The agent of the president, Emma Deeyah just came out of INEC office to buy food, they took him away. We thought he had been kidnapped only to be brought out after the day of election and that’s when we knew police took him. Now let Wike say if anybody has been arrested since we came in. It shows that the government of president Buhari understands what rule of law is, not rule of man. So tell Wike that I’m enjoying his fear, he’s scared. It’s easy to be a coward. I’ve governed this state before, all of you know I’m not a coward. What he says is happening now is not one third of what happened to me and I bore it… So there is a difference between boys and men.

    “…The governor superintends over security meetings, so what is he looking for other than the fact that he just wants to accuse APC and the leadership of APC in the state. We assure Nigerians and we assure the governor and every Rivers man to go out and vote peacefully. We expect the police and the army to provide the necessary security so everybody can go out and vote. We will not allow Wike to repeat what he’s been doing. He is not ashamed that he likes people to die. We will not allow him to continue to kill. For the first time in Rivers state people are killed and beheaded, no defence, he is not worried about the lives of people.

    “When we were fighting criminals in this state, I used to drive out with the brigade commander (then Brigadier General Bello) at night, we slept at 5am and woke up at 9 to go to work and we kept this state safe. The campaign then was that you can sleep with your two eyes closed while ours were open. So please tell the governor to stop killing Rivers people and Nigerians who live in Rivers state. even those we sent on scholarship, he brought them back, and business is suffering in Rivers state,” Amaechi lamented.

  • Kidnappers release Wike’s aide

    Dr Anugbum Onuoha,the Special Adviser to Governor Nyesom Wike on Lands and Survey who was abducted on Friday, January 18 in a hotel on Ada George road in Port Harcourt by armed men dressed in military fatigue has regained his freedom.

    He was released last night.

    Sir Wobo Kingsley, a close friend of the Anugbum Onuoha’s family and the Zonal Coordinator of Noble Knights of the Niger Delta North of the Anglican Communion for Anugbum Onuoha confirmed that “Onuoha has regained freedom and hale and hearty and reunited with his family.”

    He didn’t give further details as to whether ransom was paid and how much.

    Onuoha was on Friday abducted by gunmen in military uniform at a hotel along Ada George Road Port Harcourt.

    The abductors forced him into a waiting vehicle and zoomed off to an unknown destination .

    The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Nnamdi Omoni, assured that detectives had intensified efforts toward ensuring his release.

    Omoni specifically said that security agents had since been combing the creeks and bushes to try and locate the whereabouts of Onuoha .

    He said the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Usman Belel, had ordered a manhunt for the abductors as soon as he got wind of the incident.

    It was not clear as at press time, the role played by the security agents, especially the Police in securing freedom for the governor’s aide.

  • 2019: NSA speaks on alleged plans to shutdown internet during elections

    The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has dismissed the allegation by the governor of Rivers State, Mr Nyelsom Wike, that there were plans by the ONSA to rig the forthcoming general elections by shutting down the nation’s internet system.

    The NSA, Major Gen. Babagana Monguno(rtd), in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, said there was no iota of truth in the allegation.

    He advised Nigerians to disregard the allegation entirely.

    The statement reads :”The attention of the Office of the National Security Adviser has been drawn to the allegation making the rounds in the media that the Federal Government, through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to work with internet service providers to shut down internet access during the forthcoming elections to facilitate rigging of the 2019 elections.

    “The office wishes to advise the general public to disregard the allegation which is disinformation.

    “This office wishes to state that the internet and associated communications infrastructure are major components of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) which the ONSA is mandated to ensure its security.

    “Accordingly, the office, in collaboration with relevant ministries, departments and agencies of government, makes continuous efforts to protect them and improve service delivery to Nigerians.

    “Furthermore, every single national security platform in the country rides on the same internet to function. Therefore ‘shutting down’ the internet is akin to shutting down national development and security.

    “The Office of the National Security Adviser remains committed to protecting the rights of the public to access Information and Communication Technology facilities. The office also remains non-partisan and committed to ensuring that Nigerians freely exercise their civic rights.”

  • Rivers APC crisis: Carry your cross, leave Wike alone, PDP tells Cole, others

    Rivers APC crisis: Carry your cross, leave Wike alone, PDP tells Cole, others

    The Rivers State PDP Campaign Council has warned the embattled factional governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Arch Tonye Cole and other APC aspirants dropped by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state to face their problems with courage by clearing the mess they brought upon their party instead of blaming Gov Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for their woes.

    Recall that the dropped APC aspirants had in a press conference on Thursday accused Gov Wike of colluding with INEC and meddling in the affairs of the APC. However, in a swift reaction, the Director of Information and Communications of the Rivers State PDP Campaign Council, Emma Okah said the aspirants are being haunted by their greed and inordinate ambition to reap where they did not sow in the APC. He denies that Gov Wike is colluding with INEC or meddling in the affairs of the APC

    “These candidates are being clever by half. They are running and they know what is chasing them. They know what they did in the APC to give rise to what befell the party” Okah said, pointing out that they need to summon the courage to eat the sour food they cooked for themselves.

     

    According to Okah, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has no hand in the self inflicted problem the APC brought upon itself through recurring acts of impunity, lack of respect for the judiciary, and want of internal democracy in their party. Wike is not a member of APC. He never asked the APC to disobey court order or refuse to resolve internal problems.

    Going further, Okah said this latter day lamentation is understable and pathethic but can somebody tell them that those who play God dance the music the gods play for them and advised them to appease their party men and seek the face of God.

    On the threat by these aspirants to disrupt the polls if they are not restored in the ballot, Okah said it would be a joke taken too far, describing them as unepentant products of lawlessness, impunity and disorder.

     

    According to Okah, no amount of press conference or insults on Gov Wike by these aspirants will stop Gov Wike from reaping the fruit of support and solidarity which the people of Rivers State have placed at his disposal. The result will be a landslide victory in the forthcoming polls.

  • Protect your votes during, after elections, Wike tells Nigerians

    Protect your votes during, after elections, Wike tells Nigerians

    ▪Abua/Odual Leaders declare support for Governor Wike’s Second Term

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that Nigerians are under obligation to protect their votes to stop the desperate APC Federal Government from rigging the 2019 General Elections.

    Governor Wike said that the APC Federal Government is now in a panic mode and they are working with security agencies and INEC to rig.

    He spoke during the Abua/Odual Local Government Area PDP Campaign Rally at County State School, Abua Central on Tuesday.

    “APC are afraid because they know that Atiku Abubakar will win fair and square. Therefore they are planning to use the security agencies and INEC to rig. It will not work.

    “The only way to ensure that Atiku Abubakar and all PDP candidates emerge victorious is to protect all votes from the polling units to the Collation Centres”

    He said due to the national rejection of the APC, the party is plotting to cause crisis in order to manipulate the electoral system.

    He said: “All they are doing is to cause crisis because they are not popular. We want free and fair elections.

    “These elections, there will be no room for manipulation . If anyone hits you , hit back. Follow them bumper to bumper. APC is desperate, but we will not allow them”.

    Governor Wike assured the people that he will flag off a key road project in the area once the people overwhelmingly vote for Atiku Abubakar and other PDP candidates.

    He expressed happiness that the State Government’s investments in peace and security have yielded results in Abua/Odual Local Government Area .

    The governor took out time to praise the Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Marshall Uwom for his consistency. The governor said that Uwom will remain relevant in the state’s political terrain.

    Rivers State PDP Chairman , Bro Felix Obuah said the flagbearers of PDP in the area have the capacity to continue the develop process.

    Obuah presented flags to the PDP Candidate for Rivers West Senatorial District, Mrs Betty Apiafi, Abua/Odual/Ahoada East Federal Constituency PDP Candidate , Solomon Bob and Abua/Odual State Constituency PDP Candidate, Solomon Kirife.

    Speaking, PDP Candidate for Rivers West Senatorial District, Mrs Betty Apiafi said Governor Wike has transformed the area with key projects and programmes.

    PDP Chairman of Abua/Odual Local Government Area, Ken Wariboko said that Governor Wike is in the area for the celebration of his second term.

    He said that the Local Government Area is ever intact for the PDP and Governor Wike. He said the people of the area are happy that peace has returned to the area due to the investments of the Rivers State Governor.

    Chairman of Abua/Odual Local Government Area, Mr Daniel O. Daniel said that the people will always stand with the State Governor . He said that they will speak with their votes.

    Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Marshal Uwom said that the Local Government Area is determined to deliver all PDP candidates.

    Rivers State Women Affairs Commissioner, Mrs Ukel Oyaghiri said the governor’s achievements will speak for him during the elections.