Rivers’ election: Obi expresses concerns, condemns military involvement

Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the February 23, Presidential election; Mr. Peter Obi has expressed concern on the outcome of the governorship elections, particularly in Rivers state where collation put on hold by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Obi in a statement from his media office on Tuesday said the militarization of election which culminated in the relocation of a collation centre to a military base in additional to denying international observers access to the centre, is clearly unacceptable and a grave breach of democratic norms.

The Vice Presidential candidate noted that the “needless involvement of the military has aggravated the situation in Rivers state” wondering the state has become of huge interest.

 He flayed what he called the harassment of the state governor, Nyesom Wike, saying his stewardship in the past four years rightly earned him the nickname, “Mr. Project” from an opposition figure.

Obi stated that all right thinking person’s within and outside the country that desire the growth and sustenance of democracy in Nigeria should rise up and condemn what is going on in Rivers state.

“Any reasonable person should know that Governor Wike is the last person to be harassed knowing what he has put in just in four years in the delivery of democracy dividends.

The Vice Presidential candidate also described as curious the fact that all the six states that INEC declared inconclusive are where PDP was cruising to victory before the process was put on hold.

Obi called on the advanced democracies to show more than passing interests in what is going on in Nigeria particularly the uncertainty in Rivers state.