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By Joseph Odok

PDP cried that democracy is more endangered but with more rudderless rigging in PDP controlled States. Nigerian democracy is truly in danger, the show of shame in the conduct of Rivers State elections has proved this more glaringly. Democracy is seen endangered in most states that PDP had incumbnt governors in both South-South, South-East and North-Central states. While democracy played out in most APC controlled States with the people voting out of some non-performing APC incumbent governors, the worst PDP incumbent governor used state funds to compromise INEC and security agencies.

Rivers elections had allegations that INEC was compromised. The allegations were proven in most cases with the arrest of some PDP members that was conscripted to INEC to manipulate the elections for Wike.

David Okumgba, the Zonal Secretary, APC, South-South, in a press statement exposed the unholy union between INEC and Wike against justice and democracy in these salient questions to political observers:

(1) In whose custody were the collated results? Why were the collated results not in the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria even when INEC was proven to be partisan?

(2) How many LGAs were collated before the suspension of the collation process? How did the Commission arrive at 17 LGAs?

(3) During the fact finding mission by INEC, how many parties were invited? How did they get their facts since Mrs. Agbamuche-Mbu confessed in the interactive session in Port Harcourt that they carried out their fact findings without inviting all the parties involved for their submissions?

(4) Who are the electoral officers changed in the process and why were they changed? Obviously, only collation officers in places the AAC candidate had leads were changed to effect cancellation of such results and easy manipulation of results to favour Wike

(5) What is the proof of the authenticity of collated results since INEC and the Fact Finding Committee were already biased?

(6) Since INEC is aware that the Rivers election/ suspension of collation of results, and the legality of the Fact Finding Committee is before the court of law for determination, why was the hurry to collate and announce a cooked result?

The silence of INEC at the time speculations were at its highest level, alleging the possible doctoring of the collated results to favour Wike and the sudden announcement of the collation of results from 21 local government areas, 21 days after, can only be the handy work of an umpire, eager to please his pay master.

Engr. Biokpomabo Awara, the AAC Governorship candidate and other concerned stakeholders had called out severally for the immediate release of the collated results which showed the AAC clearly in clear lead as announced by the various Electoral Officers.

The collation after collation was so cooked in favour of Wike in a way that INEC was found contradicting itself. Initially, INEC announced that it had results collated for 17 LGAs and supplementary elections will be held for the remaining 6 LGAs. As at the time of collation and final declaration of Wike, INEC has generated additional results for four local governments, while cancelling results for strongholds of AAC candidate.

The action of INEC is a repeat of legalization of rigging by Wike that began since 2015 and was permitted by a corrupt judiciary. Democracy is in chains in a State controlled by Wike, the self-indicted PDP whistle blower. PDP have lost all credibility as its worst criminals are rigged back to power with the aid of INEC.

President Buhari must urgently save our democracy and strengthen institutions to avert the manipulations of the will of the electorates. With what has played out, PDP has defined itself as master riggers and if the arrogance of incumbent governors is not checked, Nigeria will bankroll to the PDP days of impunity. Buhari has proved his integrity, must rise to strengthen democracy to block impunity amongst politicians

Joseph Odok, PhD Esq., Director, Media and Strategic Communications of the Coalition for Buhari/Osibanjo Movement (COBOM) wrote in from Abuja