Rivers state Governor ,Nyesom Wike
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State revealed he had acquired assurances from heads of safety businesses within the state that satisfactory measures are in place to make sure a peaceable native council ballot.
A media aide to the governor, Simeon Nwakaudu, in a assertion on Thursday quoted Wike as saying that authorities would “maintain the safety businesses professionally accountable ought to insecurity be skilled within the state in the midst of the election.”
The News Agency of Nigeria experiences that there are 23 native authorities areas, 319 electoral wards and four,442 polling items in Rivers.
The governor additionally urged group leaders and members of the general public to be alert and report suspicious characters and actions of their neighbourhoods to legislation enforcement businesses.
“Also, the safety businesses have particular directions to strictly implement the restrictions on human and vehicular motion on election day and arrest any particular person or group of individuals that violate this order.
“All those that haven't any official enterprise with conducting the election ought to, subsequently, keep away from the polling items after casting their votes or threat arrest and prosecution,” he mentioned.
As acknowledged by the governor, there isn't a authorized instrument stopping the conduct of Saturday’s election within the state.
“As issues stand now, we have now no different selection however to conduct the native authorities election and permit democracy to settle and thrive as soon as once more on the grassroots and drive the event of our communities.
“I can affirm to you that the election will happen as scheduled in all of the four,442 items, 319 wards and 23 native authorities areas of the state as there isn't a authorized impediment vital sufficient to warrant in any other case.
“Let me subsequently attraction to all registered voters to prove of their numbers to vote for the candidates of their selection.
“This is a civic duty you have to train with a purpose to rekindle the torch of democracy, good governance and accountability within the native authorities system.
“I'm more than happy with the data that 67 out of the 68 registered political events have fielded candidates for the election and are subsequently taking part,” Wike mentioned.
He expressed happiness with the assurances by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RVSIEC) that it will conduct free, honest and credible election on Saturday.
“For us, that is an irreducible minimal and we demand nothing much less as authorities will maintain the commission strictly accountable for any act or omission that compromise the integrity of each the method and the election,” Wike mentioned.
In a broadcast to the folks of the state, the governor had given causes for the delay within the conduct of the election.
“After three years of authorized vacillation, it's now clear that the subject material or basic curiosity of the claimants, in that case, has virtually been wasted by effluxion of time.
“And no matter cures derivable by the events, if any, can solely be nominal.
“While the authorized problem continues, the folks of Rivers State are denied their rights to freely elect officers to run the councils democratically.
“However, as issues stand now, we have now no different selection however to conduct the native authorities election and permit democracy to settle and thrive as soon as once more on the grassroots and drive the event of our communities,” he mentioned.