The outcome of the controversial April11, 2015 Rivers State governorship election continues to court claims and counter-claims in the polity. It has resulted into litigations between the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and incumbent governor, Nyesom Wike and his main rival, Dakuku Peterside. Two court judgments: the election petition tribunal and appeal court had nullified the mandate of the PDP standard bearer and subsequently called for fresh election.
Wike had since proceeded to the Supreme Court, asking that his mandate be upheld. In this interview with Sunday Sun, the Labour Candidate in the election, Tonye Princewill says neither Wike nor Peterside won the election and dismissed the entire process of last April in Rivers as a charade . ‘’The election,’’ he insists, ‘’was the mother of all injustices to Rivers people.’’
Excerpts:
Let’s start with the state of the nation. Nigerians are getting impatient with the Buhari administration over the management of the economy. The government has painted an unsavoury picture of the nation’s treasury as a big encumbrance to the fulfillment of its electoral promises. What is your take?
It’s natural. That’s Nigeria for you. If complaining was an Olympic sport, we would win gold every time. The truth though is we have reason to complain, Nigerians deserve more of government. But complaining alone will not do anything about it. We talk a lot but do very little. That’s why the politics takes the people for granted.
Having said that, let me be fair, 2015 witnessed very little by way of governance and we can’t blame all those months on Buhari. Leading up to the election, through it and for the months that followed, politics got in the way of governance. Now we see governance rearing it’s lovely head. I score him a 5/10 because I think like a leader and I know a lot of what he is dealing with is inevitable but there are things, firmly under his control he could have addressed and did not.
So he isn’t entirely blameless.
Seeing as nobody can score 10/10 and he is less than a year in office,
let us continue to observe. Corruption is key, but for me it comes second to job creation and access of business to affordable capital.
They are complimentary I know, but one or two shouldn’t be sacrificed at the expense of the other. We need to be able to chew gum and walk at the same time. Single issue governance can not take us to the promised land. Our issues are far too many and far too urgent.
Are you convinced that the APC government really has a blueprint it wants to execute?
I can see the signs. They have presented a Medium Term Expenditure Framework which gives you an idea of their direction so I would not describe them as clueless. They have a majority in the National assembly and despite the earlier drama, both the Senate and the House seem to have put internal party issues aside and the country in front. The opportunity is there for them. Once they can get over the reality of reduced oil prices and subsidy to be or not to be, they will have no excuse but to deliver to the Nigerian people. I like the choice of some of their Ministers and so I expect them to make an impact. I just hope that it is soon enough and large enough to satisfy Nigerians. This remains to be seen.
On Rivers, are you surprised about the pronouncements coming from the Courts?
Of course not. Even PDP knew it was inevitable. The election was the mother of all injustices to Rivers people. But APC would have been satisfied if the outcome produced from the same process was in their favour. Hypocrisy is clearly not partisan.
Will you be running if the Supreme Court calls for fresh elections?
Depends on many factors. Resources, INEC rules of engagement, stakeholders’ support, the security strategy and of course, the Almighty God. For me to win an election in Rivers state would be a miracle. But they do happen, look at President Buhari and Yaya Bello.
God knows my state needs one. The situation is worse than 2006. The desperation is unprecedented. Both APC and PDP were involved in the violence, the judgments of the courts prove it, the security reports prove it, independent observers prove it, Rivers people know it and now so do Nigerians. Yet nobody has been indicted for one death, talk less of the hundreds that died that day. Failure to punish bad behaviour not only encourages it, it punishes good behaviour as well.
Both APC and PDP however know not to mess with me. I will pursue them with peace. But do I fight them and the security agencies and INEC again with my hands tied behind my back? That remains to be seen. I am not desperate to be Governor but my people are desperate for peace.
Many tell me, the answer is me. But if someone else is ready to provide peace, I will gladly support them.
It doesn’t have to be me. I demonstrated this in 2007, but looking at the field, I can’t see a spirit of peace in either of the two parties. Maybe they will surprise me. For now it’s hypothetical. There is no vacancy in the Brick House. Let us not commit the first crime of analog politics – sharing the cake before we bake it.
Sunnewsonline……..
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