2019: INEC Can’t Be Trusted On Credible Polls — Wike

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said the Independent National Electoral Commission cannot be trusted to conduct credible polls in 2019 because of its inconsistent actions.

Wike cautioned that though Rivers people were peace-loving, they would resist any attempt to rig the 2019 elections in the state.

The governor spoke on Wednesday while speaking on Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily, aired from the Government House, Port Harcourt.

“INEC has different interpretations of judgments. When the court nullified the Rivers APC primaries, a lawyer of one of the factions wrote to INEC not to recognise any candidate because of the judgment.

“INEC wrote to the All Progressives Congress, notifying it of the outcome of that judgment. INEC merely said they were in receipt of the letter requesting that INEC should obey. In the case of the PDP, INEC wrote to the PDP in Ogun State, where Buruji dragged the party to court, telling them they will comply.

“When there is a judgment against the PDP, there is immediate enforcement. When it concerns the APC, INEC says it is studying the judgment. In the case of the Ogun State PDP, INEC quickly obeyed the judgment,” Wike said.

The governor said there was the need for INEC to work as an unbiased umpire, ensure that the electoral Act was respected and due process was followed in the conduct of elections.

The governor stated that INEC and security agencies should commit themselves to credible polls.

Wike said, “INEC and security agencies don’t want us to have peaceful elections in Rivers State.

“Rivers people are peaceful. The only time we will have a crisis is when we see the electoral umpire being biased and security agencies working against due process in elections.

“If not because of the way we resisted, they would have overrun the state.”

Wike added that the failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the amended Electoral Act was a sign that the President was not committed to credible polls.

“If Mr. President had signed the Electoral Act, it would have made it difficult to manipulate, but he refused to sign the law,” the governor said.