Ugochukwu Iwuchukwu
The Rivers State Youth Leaders Assembly has condemned the call for the re-deployment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Rivers State, Obo Effanga, by some groups in the state.
The President-General of Rivers State Youth Leaders Assembly Amb. Prince Tonye Jeminimiema made the call after a meeting with over 100 youth groups in Rivers State.
Prince Tonye Jeminimiema while reading out the resolutions of the group after the meeting commended Obo Effanga for refusing to manipulate the electoral processes in Rivers State.
“We condemn in the strongest terms, the malicious and ill-motivated calls for the redeployment of the INEC REC, Obo Effanga who played the constitutional role allotted to him regardless of the likes of Amaechi and his co-travellers intimidating Obo Effanga and his staff with wild abandon”.
“We commend him for maintaining his integrity and outrightly refusing to do the bidding of Amaechi’s meticulously orchestrated script to win the election by all means. The state REC, all things considered, deserves commendation for maintaining that the enemies of the state cannot coerce their way to power through the back door. Obo Effanga should be allowed to collate the Rivers state results and announce the winner without fear or favour” he said.
Amb. Prince Tonye Jeminimiema also queried the continuous silence of President Muhammadu Buhari over the irregularities that marred the 2019 general elections in Rivers State.
He said that President Buhari should punish the perpetrators of election violence in the state.
“As a group, we query the continuous silence of President Muhammadu Buhari over the killing of innocent people in the state. President Buhari should stop playing the ostrich and swing into action to bring the perpetrators of election violence to book as Rivers state is an integral part of Nigeria.
“We wish to respectfully inform Mr President to realize that if there is break down of law and order in Rivers state he will be held accountable for the roles he played covertly or overtly” he stated.
The youth group also frowned at the call by some organizations for the cancellation of the March 9 governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers State.
He said that Nigerians should ignore the calls by such groups.
“We state unequivocally that according to the INEC REC Obo Effanga, results of 17 LGAs have been collated and are in INEC’s safe custody. We do not understand the motive or the logic of the anti-democratic forces rooting for outright cancellation of an election that is near conclusion.
“We condemn these nondescript elements and call upon the police to investigate and arrest these elements since they are on a mission to truncate our democracy” he noted.
