I’ll dislodge Wike, PDP in Rivers – APGA guber candidate

The Rivers APGA Governorship Candidate, Prince Ugo Beke says his party will defeat the ruling PDP in the state with INEC’s deployment of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that BVAS is an electronic device introduced by the electoral umpire and designed to read the genuineness of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and authenticate voters – using either the voters’ face and fingerprints during accreditation.

Beke, a merchant banker and financial consultant in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos, said that some INEC’s innovations into the electoral system, made him to have confidence that the process would be credible and transparent for him to emerge winner.

“I have confidence the new election process will be credible. BVAS is the same technology we all use for our international passports when we travel.

“First, INEC is not the owner of the technology. But it only provides administration. The technology is domiciled in Dublin. We are using the satellite of Elon Musk. So, it is going to be difficult for INEC to manipulate the outcome of the election.

“The problem with the election process we have been conducting before had to do with the Incident Result Form. Right now, that is not feasible. We now have backup for the system that is being operated.

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“We also have the times that the satellite shut down. We also know when the result can no longer be admitted. Ballot box snatching is no longer an issue.

“I believe INEC has no choice than to submit to the superiority of what has been put in place. Therefore, I am confident that votes will count,” he said.

On vote buying and selling, Beke said that Nigerians had tolerated bad governance for too long, saying: “I believe people will collect their (vote buyers) money and will not vote for me.”

According to him, the need to tackle development issues, make everybody equal, provide basic things for everybody and ensure happiness of everyone brought me into politics.

Speaking further on his confidence to dislodge PDP, Beke said that INEC had assured them that votes would count, saying “come 2023, Rivers will be administered by APGA.”

On the performance of Gov. Nyesom Wike on infrastructural development, the candidate said the current leadership in the state had not positively affected lives of residents in totality.

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Beke, who noted that as a specialist in policy formulation and execution at the highest level at African Union, United Nations and for corporate bodies, said that his governance would provide happiness and prosperity for every resident.

On what he planned to do differently if elected, Beke said that his agenda centred on economy, prosperity and security.

He said that there was the need to rejig the security, saying: “I am advocating for a security trust fund”.

Beke, who decried wastages and stealing of public resources, said the development had led to suffering and high rate of poverty.

“You can see our senses and sensibilities have been demonised. We cannot even tell what is right from what is wrong,” he said.

He urged electorate to scrutinise all politicians and vote for candidates with character, competence and contentment that they could depend on to deliver the dividends of democracy.

“With this, we will have taken a good step forward. We need to take governance seriously,” he said.

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According to him, pollsters are not helping the matter as they are allegedly encouraging some politicians with the outcome of their polls.

The candidate commended the selfless leadership provided by Nigerian founding fathers like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello and Chief Michael Okpara at their time.

“We have not had this kind of leaders. Leaders that we need now are those who will come with originality of ideas and policies that transform the whole society.

“It is not just about building bridges and roads. We should talk about human capital development. We should talk about empowerment. We should talk about how to grow the younger generations to key into the growth process of the society.

“Our younger generations have fallen apart because they have become hopeless.

“Our younger generations are now talking about entertainments. They are talking about sports, which is okay. But we must produce. We need youths that can produce,” he added.

Beke reiterated his call for investments in research and development centre, saying “No nation can grow without research and development. We have all the raw materials in Africa.” (NAN)