A socio- political advocacy group in Rivers State, the United Brothers’ of Opobo Kingdom, UBOK has dismissed claims by former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress APC in the 2023 governorship election in the state, Tonye Cole that Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s election under the umbrella of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) amounted to a ‘stolen mandate’, describing the allegation as misleading, divisive, and dismissive of the electorate’s will.
Speaking with newsmen in Port-Harcourt on the allegation, Chairman of the group, Comrade Godswill Jaja, maintained that the 2023 Rivers State governorship poll, despite its shortcomings, produced a clear outcome endorsed by the people and validated by constitutionally recognized institutions.
According to Comrade Jaja, elections in Nigeria are adjudicated through ballots, collation processes, tribunals, and courts, not post- election commentaries or retrospective political arguments that holds no water.
“Mandates are not stolen through opinions. They are either lost or upheld through votes and legal processes”, Comrade Jaja said.
He argued that branding Fubara’s victory as a ‘stolen mandate’, undermines voter confidence, delegitimizes democratic institutions, and fuels unnecessary political tension in Rivers State.
Comrade Jaja further stressed that Tonye Cole had every legal opportunity to challenge the outcome through the courts, and once the process was exhausted, democracy demands acceptance or dignified opposition.
” In our view as a group, political disappointment should not be weaponized as electoral falsehood.
“Rivers State has a long history of intense politics. Yet democracy matures only when political actors and actresses realizes that, winning is temporary, losing is instructive, and governance is continuous” UBOK boss averred.
He, however, admonished Rivers people to disregard Tonye Cole’s allegation, noting that it is baseless, and political rascality of a failed and disappointed loser, who, he said, is crying over a split milk of failure.
“Calling an election ‘ stolen mandate’ long after legal avenues are closed does not strengthen democracy; it strains it.
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“True democratic growth lies in accountability, credible opposition, and respect for voters’ choices. Elections are validated by institutions, not cheap sentiments, ‘voters’, not politicians, own mandates; democracy is weakened when losers refuse closure, peace thrives when results are respected, governance legitimacy grows with performance, not propaganda”, Comrade Godswill Jaja declared.
On the practical way forward in the new year for the development of Rivers State and her people, Comrade Godswill Jaja urged political leaders to be committed to post- election peace accords, rather than make-believe propaganda. He called for the introduction of electoral transparency dialogues, not blame- games, stressing that strengthening voter education on electoral dispute resolution remains sacrosanct.
The group leader also enjoined Nigerian political leaders to encourage opposition participation in governance oversight, and help to promote issues- driven political engagement ahead of the 2027 polls, instead of name-calling, hate- speeches, negative rantings, and porous ideologies.
The group, therefore, warned Tonye Cole to stop to peddle rumours and unfounded allegations against the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, adding that the Governor remains Rivers divine project for 2027.
