Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Campaign Council Chairman for the Edo State governorship election, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State who raised an alarm about the threat to his life, says he is happy with the turnout of the electorate to vote for candidates of their choice.
Information and Communications Commissioner, Paulinus Nsirim, in a statement said the hotel his principal was staying in Benin City, the Edo capital, was allegedly under siege by over 300 policemen, pointing out, ‘’what is more disturbing is that the policemen led by DIG Leye Oyebanji have also been very audible with threats that he (Governor Wike) should leave Edo State.
In his reaction to the general conduct of the election, Governor Wike, however, said there was minimal violence recorded because of the proactive measures deployed by the security agencies.
According to him, election does not end with voting because it is a process that also includes counting of votes and collation.
‘’With the voting concluded, there is need for both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to ensure that nothing scuttles the remaining stages.
‘’Like I have said before, election is not only about voting, the votes should be counted, then you proceed to collation stages; ward, local and state government levels. The collation stage is the critical period.
‘’So, I urge both INEC and security agencies to protect all the collation centres. When that is done, everybody who has voted will be happy to see that their will has prevailed,” he said.
Continuing, he said when an electoral process is transparent with less violence and disenfranchisement, every participating political party will gladly accept its outcome.
‘’This may likely be the best election ever conducted in the history of Nigeria. But they must allow the process to continue to the end. Otherwise, they will destroy it.
‘’If it is APC that has won, let it be so. If it is PDP that has won, let it also be so. But I must tell that we are happy with what we have got.
‘’We have field report of results of over 2,000 polling units. It shows clearly that PDP is leading. I want to commend INEC so far. They have made sure that people voted in their various polling units.
‘’I want to also commend the security agencies so far, for also making sure that there were no much violence’’, says Governor Wike.
