Rivers LG Poll: Analyst Slams Wike, APC, PDP Over Alleged Seat Sharing, "That Was Never an Election"
- Rivers LG elections have been described as a charade, with claims of compromised processes and state capture
- Public affairs analyst Sogbeye Eli who spoke with Legit.ng alleged that seats were allocated under a coalition, raising questions about the APC and PDP's conduct
- The legal practitioner also voiced concerns over political defections and past presidential results, with warnings issued on misleading loyalties
Port Harcourt, Rivers state -A public affairs analyst and lawyer, Sogbeye Eli, has strongly condemned the Rivers state local government election of August 30, describing it as an assault on democracy and the rule of law.
Source: Twitter
“That was never an election, please. The entire process from composition of the Electoral Commission to schedule of dates in the notice of Poll and emergence of candidates is a brazen r᷉a᷉p᷉e᷉ on the Constitution and the rule of law,” he told Legit.ng.
Eli alleged that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) was compromised from the onset.
His words:
“The RSIEC Chairman and members of the Board were handpicked to conclude the work of State capture for Wike, and they did not even pretend about what their mission was. For God's sake, it is unfair to basic English to call that a sham an election. My understanding is that an election in a democracy, properly so-called, gives the voters the freedom to make choices.”
Lawyer Eli further wondered how the ruling parties could celebrate a win in an election where real opposition was barely present.
“How do you explain to kids 10 years from now that in Obio/Akpor LGA, where both Nyesom Wike and the so-called APC Chairman, Tony Okocha, come from, the APC did not even field a single candidate for the Chairmanship and Councillorship, while the PDP won in a landslide?" he asked.
"Same thing happened in next door Port Harcourt City Local Government Area and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA. And in the other 20 LGAs where the APC recorded victory, the PDP, that claims to be the unbeatable party in Rivers state since 1999 to date, did not field a single candidate. Just how could anyone have spun that magic?”
He alleged that the outcome was prearranged under the guise of political alliances:
“By the way, who doesn't know that in the guise of a so-called Rainbow Coalition or Renewed Hope Family in Rivers state, Wike sat down and allocated the seats to his cronies and political wards in both parties as he thought fit? People known till tomorrow as PDP members attend the PDP campaign flag-off at Isaac Boro Park and the very next day attend that of the APC at the Elechi Amadi Polytechnic (formerly School of Basic Studies or College of Arts & Science), Rumuola.”
Source: Twitter
2027: Analyst hints at shifting allegiances
The legal practitioner described the poll as unprecedented in its alleged irregularities.
“That August 30 charade was the biggest scandal elections have been subjected to in our modern history. My worry in all of these is someone is deceiving the President with his fake, transactional loyalty.”
He further raised questions about political defections and the credibility of the process.
“Where are those who announced defection to the APC in December 2023 in the Rivers State House of Assembly today even after the President had told the Rivers delegation in that first mediation meeting in the Villa that they had crossed the Red Sea to the APC, were now his children and could therefore not drive them away to return to the PDP? Where are they? They denied ever defecting.”
The analyst also compared the alleged manipulation of past presidential elections.
“Secondly, how many votes did Wike allocate to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan when he rigged the 2015 presidential election with all the Federal might at his disposal? Over 2 million. How many did he allocate to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after rigging the results in 2023 as an outgoing Governor? Just 230 something thousand. So what happened? How did the candidate of the Labour Party for the Port Harcourt Federal Constituency 1 seat in the House of Representatives trash Wike's PDP candidate to win the election on that day?”
He concluded by urging the media to prioritise accountability:
“These are the issues the press should interrogate. Not entertain Wike's lies on his endless media PR stunts.”
Wike says APC now threatens Rivers' politics
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike said “APC is now a threat” in Rivers state.
His statement followed APC’s win of 20 out of 23 Rivers LG chairmanships, sparking mixed reactions across social media and political circles.
Source: Legit.ng
