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… Opts to ‘Join Hands with Wike’
By Joel Anekwe
The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Precious Elekima has expressed lack of confidence in the Rivers State Election Tribunal, choosing rather to work with Governor Nyesom Wike on the development of the state.
This is as the Rivers State Election Tribunal began sitting in Port Harcourt, last week granted leave to three political parties and their candidates to serve Governor Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through substituted means.
Speaking in an interview in Port Harcourt, Elekima said that ordinarily he would have loved to challenge the outcome of the very controversial governorship election in the state at the tribunal, but was sure that the tribunal would not do justice to the case.
He explained: “The circumstances of the election played out in favour of the incumbent governor. The reason was the magnitude of the crisis such that the world, the citizens of Rivers State were wondering if the state was safe.”
Elekima said that the party would join hands with the governor to ensure sustainable peace, security and development in the state.
“The business owners, everybody was worried, INEC and security agencies were weary and afraid to re-conduct election such that INEC felt that what they did was the saving situation, to give the state what they didn’t bargain for because they don’t want more damage.
“We had little or no option to go to the tribunal, but when I looked at the long walk from the lower court to the Appeal Court and to the Supreme Court, I couldn’t convince myself that I really want to go to tribunal.
“The election was suspended instead of postponement and the law INEC cited as the basis of their power to suspend election has no provision for suspension rather it had provision for postponement at sub-section 6 that gave jurisdiction to the court.
“When the court says it has no jurisdiction for such and the people also pretend as there was nothing wrong, why should I bother myself to go to court,” he queried.
Elekima said that going to court is like going to watch a drama play out, rather he would be a watch dog on behalf of the people and tell them what was wrong or right to develop the state.
“I will not fight nor criticise the government, rather I will work with the government to make sure that the state gets better,” he stated.
He urged Gov. Wike to be a visionary leader with people-oriented mind to achieve development in the state.
“I think the governor should sit down and talk with stakeholders like us with community government vision because until there is community government the state will not be developed.
“I urge him to borrow the video clip of the past governors, Ada George, Peter Odili, Celestine Omehia, Chibuike Amechi and also listen to the statement people made when they left the office to know if they did well or not in developing the state.
“He should not be the only branch in the state, I want us to develop the state together,” Elekima said.
He urged the governor to look at SDP manifesto to bring in community government, saying that without community government, Rivers State will not develop.
“The governor concentrated on the Federal Government projects in the state, like the building of the courts. Won’t it have been better to appropriate bills and projects in communities where people will benefit. But because people don’t understand the government, they watch their money used for projects that will not benefit them,” he said.