Wike and INEC Threat: Challenge to the Rivers Youths, Riverine Section of the State - Eze

As Rivers State and the entire world await the outcome of the mission of the facts-finding committee set up by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on the governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers State, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Rivers State, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has said that the plot by INEC to truncate and deny the State and her people their choice of a new leader to govern them is a big challenge to both the youths of the State and the Riverine section of the State.

Eze ascertained that what the leadership of the APC in Rivers state have done, by adopting the African Action Congress (AAC) candidate, Engr. Biokpomabo Awara, was to kick start the Not-Too-Young-to-Rule Act, as signed by President Muhammadu Buhari recently.

Engr Awara, whoi is currently 38 years, will be the second youngest governor ever to have governed  Rivers State, the moment he is sworn in come May 29, 2019, after the founding military Administrator of the old Rivers State, Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff, who currently is the Amayanabo (King) of Twon-Brass in Bayelsa, who was merely 25 years old when he was appointed to oversee the leadership of the old Rivers State, then comprising the present Rivers and Bayelsa States.

No governor, with the exception of Rt. Hon. (Dr) Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has impacted on the infrastructural development of Rivers Stat like the young Diete-Spiff, that today he is ascribed as the founding father of the old Rivers state. In terms of age when attaining leadership, Rt. Hon. Amaechi, who was just 33 years when hebecame the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and later the Chairman of the Speakers' Forum of Nigeria, became the second youngest in the history of the State before the advent of Engr. Awara. Amaechi became Governor of the State at 41. The fact remains that no other Governor has impacted in the infrastructural development of Rivers State like Amaechi that is why he ascribed today as the father of the Modern Rivers State. Today, through providence and the divine intervention of God, another young man, in the person of Engr Awara, by the popular votes of the people of Rivers state, is set to take Rivers State to the next level.

In this regard, Eze urged the youths of the State to come together and assist one of their own to develop the State as 40 percent of those that will form Engr. Awara's cabinet will be picked from the youths bracket adding, "let us support this new leader and forget Wike who has no plans for the future of Rivers State youths apart from arming and recruiting them as militants and disrupting the education of our youths through destruction of the education sector.

He postulated that, "The politics of Rivers State is based on the Upland/Riverine dichotomy and the upland section of the State, through Dr Peter Odili,  Dr Amaechi and Chief Wike, had governed the state in the last 20 years, to the detriment of the Riverine section of the State and sadly Wike, through propaganda, wants to prolong the woes of this section by ensuring, with the help of the Judiciary and INEC, this section of the State comprising great Rivers sons and daughters, will never smell the seat of power for the next 30 years. God will not allow the machinations of Wike and his devious cohorts to frustrate the dream of the Riverine section of the State to govern the State through Engr Awara this time around to succeed.

Eze exposed that, "It is the drive by Amaechi for a  candidate from this area to become the next Governor of Rivers State that is the cause of all the attacks and falsehoods against him by Wike and his devious cohorts", Eze said.

"Amaechi has expressed his love for a virile, egalitarian and prosperous Rivers State  where justice and equity reigns by supporting a youth from the Riverine section of the State to govern the State so the youths and the Riverine people of Rivers State  should not only appreciate Amaechi but mobilise themselves to make this dream a reality", Eze counsels.

Eze, however, appealed to the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, not to endanger the peace of Rivers State by allowing the evil plots against the choice of the people of Rivers State by prevailing and ensuring that the results of the votes are not tampered with.

He commended the leadership of INEC for suspending Obo Effanga, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), in Rivers State as he is a curse to the State and will like the EFCC to investigate all his alleged atrocities and impunity against the State, saying" has been corrupted and compromised by Governor Wike".

Apart from the suspension of Obo Effanga, his colleague in crime and the Administrative Secretary of INEC in the State, Etim Umoh, who allegedly received the sum of 300 million Naira, a luxuriously furnished building and a Sport Utility Vehicle as retirement fund from Governor Wike should also be suspended.

"INEC have no option as regards the gubernatorial election in Rivers State than to declare Engr. Awara as the duly elected Governor of Rivers State as the people of Rivers State have rejected Governor Wike and no amount of intimidation will allow his reinstatement, no matter the odds", he said.

 

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