Wike’s vilification of INEC unacceptable

The unguarded and pugilistic disposition of Governor Nyesom Wike even on issues that are quite unequivocal is disheartening. It is on record that his confrontational and misanthropic personality has not fostered unity in Rivers State.

After winning a very bloody election which the same INEC he is demonizing defended at the tribunal, one would expect a deliberate attempt by the governor to rally all centrifugal tendencies and form an inclusive government rather Wike was recently quoted thus “INEC and others plotting to transplant the Edo rigging model to Rivers state will fail as the people of the state will resist them. Anyone planning to steal our mandate will be resisted. Nobody can intimidate us. They will rig themselves into the waters”.

These are not the words of a peace loving leader whose election took many innocent lives and renders children fatherless, widows husbandless, and many homeless.

Again it befuddles the mind how militants would rather surrender their arms to Governor Rochas Okorocha and not Governor Wike in anticipation of amnesty, isn’t that an indictment of the Rivers state governor and a confirmation of his dalliance with militants?

Governor Wike should know that Edo people are peace loving people and have denounced the Rivers’ kind violence.

If Edo PDP have elected to approach the election tribunal to challenge the results why should Wike make reference to the same election where he is a complete outsider as it were, isn’t that another confirmation of his plan to unleash terror on the state before the election was postponed?

Accusing INEC on behalf of Edo people is overreaching the threshold of his executive brief. The Judiciary remains the channel for seeking redress in electoral democracy and not a garrulous attempt to pull down an institution.

Bukola Ajisola, bukymany@yahoo.com Lagos,