Rivers Voters Must be Allowed To Choose Their Governor, We’ll Resist Attempt At Installing PDP Aspirant – Rivers State Government

by Oluwatosin Fatoyinbo

A statement released by the Rivers state Government has said any attempt at installing a PDP candidate on the state will be frustrated.

In the statement released  by Mr. Dave Iyofor, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Rotimi Amaechi, the government was said of the directives reportedly issued to the Commisioner of Police to make sure that the PDP candidate emerges Governor.

The statement reads “The people of Rivers State will strongly and bravely resist any attempt by anyone or institutions, including The Presidency, to unconstitutionally install the preferred PDP aspirant as Governor of the State, now or in the 2015 election.

“There is no provision in the Nigerian Constitution and laws for the ‘installation’ of a preferred aspirant as governor of a state by The Presidency. What our laws prescribe is a free and fair election that must be devoid of police and security forces coercion, harassment and intimidation of voters.

“Rivers voters must be allowed to and will freely choose and elect their governor in the 2015 elections. It is their inalienable democratic right that they will not and will never surrender to anyone or institution, including The Presidency.
“We must warn that the looming danger ahead for our polity and our country is indeed ominous, if this noxious script is acted out. This is an avoidable crisis that must be avoided by all parties mentioned in the reports.”

On the new Police Commissioner, the statement said, “We expect and hope that he would act professionally and would firmly resist any external influences and pressure to be politically biased and partisan in the discharge of his duties to Rivers people as the police chief.

“We pray that God and his conscience guide him to do only what is constitutional, lawful, right, just and fair in the policing of Rivers State.