Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
The governorship and state assembly election coming up on Saturday, March 11, 2023, might witness a low turnout of voters in Rivers State.
This is because many people who came out to vote in the presidential election of February 25, 2023, have vowed not to participate in the governorship election.
They are angry that their votes were not allowed to count at the end of the presidential election, despite the stress they endured in order to perform their civic duty.
Some of them who spoke to TPCN on Wednesday said until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) releases the original results of the presidential election as recorded at the various polling units in the state and across the nation, they would no longer bother to vote in any election.
“I have decided that nothing concerns me and election again in this country. Look at how we suffered that day to go and vote. Rain beat me, sun beat me, the same thing my wife, but we endured it because we want to make sure that we vote for Peter Obi so that Nigeria can be good.
“But after everything, INEC wasted all our efforts. They changed all the results and put a different thing in their BVAS, coming to announce that Tinubu win. For where Tinubu win – for Rivers State here or for Abuja there wey INEC day?
“Peter Obi win everywhere. In Rivers here Peter Obi win; in Abuja Peter Obi win. Even in Lagos where Tinubu say na im kingdom, Obi win there. So for where Tinubu win for this election? God go punish all the people wey follow rig this election,” an angry resident, who said he voted in Rumuokoro, fumed.
Lamenting in a similar manner, another resident narrated how he trekked a long distance to his polling unit to cast his vote on February 25.
He however regretted that the outcome of the election, as announced by INEC, has killed his zeal for voting in future elections.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to vote again. I know what I suffered that Saturday. I trekked from Iwofe to Mile 1 where my polling unit is. I didn’t eat before I left so that I can reach before 8:30 for accreditation.
“It was around 9 o’clock that I got there. INEC came late but we still voted.
“Do you know that when they were counting the result, it was Obi, Obi, Obi everywhere? We even turned the counting into a song: Obi 1, Obi 2, Obi 3, up to 50, 60, 70, just like that. Everybody was happy. But look at what they did. They went and gave it to Tinubu.
“So, why am I going out again to vote? After voting, they will go and rig it again? No, I won’t. In fact, in my yard, everybody is angry, all the people that voted, and they’re saying they won’t vote again. Everywhere in Iwofe, it’s the same thing. Go to the market, go to the church, every where, people are angry because they all voted for Obi.
“Yesterday, I went to see my aunty in Oyigbo, the same story. She told me that some people in their yard are saying they will not go out that Saturday. When I asked her why she won’t vote, she said: ‘The one we voted have they called the result? If they call the result before Saturday, then I’ll go and vote on Saturday.’ I just laughed. But that is the situation,” he said.
TPCN reports that voter sensitisation campaigns and jingles have been going on in the media to encourage voters to come out and vote during the governorship election of Saturday, March 11, 2023, despite the criticism trailing the poor conduct of the presidential election.
An investigation is, however, showing that with the current mood of the majority of the Rivers electorate, especially those who February 25 was their first time to vote, it is likely that not all of them will be convinced to file out again for the governorship election.
