Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike is coasting to the second term victory as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, resumed collation of results on the governorship election it suspended earlier.
INEC announced the suspension of activities in volatile opposition-held Rivers State on March 10 citing violence and threats to its staff, as tensions rose in the wake of closely-watched regional elections.
At the end of Tuesday’s proceedings on the collation of the results, Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won in 13 of a total 15 local government areas.
The cumulative standings among the parties placed Wike in pole position with 426,279 votes against closest contending All Progressives Congress, APC, backed candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Biokpomabo Awara who is trailing with 129,855 votes.
Wike who beat Rotimi Amaechi, the Transport Minister and arch political rival in his home- Ikwerre local government area, also won in Port Harcourt City, Andoni, Eleme, Opobo/Nkoro, Bonny, Okrika, Omuma, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Etche, Emohua, Ahoada East, and Tai LGAs while Awara took Oyigbo and Akuku Toru LGAs.
The biggest winning margin between the two so far was reflected in the results from Andoni where Wike polled 92,056 votes against Awara’s 5335, the cumulative collated figures so far leaving Wike with a 296,424 winning margin against Awara.
Meanwhile, PDP’s Sen George Sekibo snatched Rivers East Senatorial seat as collated, just as Betty Apiafi also of PDP won the Rivers West Senate seat, for a clean sweep for the party in the senatorial elections as Barry Mpigi was first to clinch the first 2019 Rivers senate elections for South East District.
In most of the results presented by the LGAs Collation Officers, votes in several units and wards were cancelled due to reported violence and disruptions on the process. Collation continues Thursday with results for the two last LGAs already secured by INEC including densely populated Wike’s home locality of Obia Akpor where he’s expected to increase his lead substantially.
Proceedings Tuesday were coordinated by State Collation Officer, Teddy Adias and national commissioner in charge Rivers, Bayelsa and Edo states, May Agbamuche-Mbu who set 11 ground rules for stakeholders before collation started.
INEC resumed the stalemated Rivers governorship andstate assembly elections yesterday amidst protest by pro AAC’s demonstrators led by Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe in major Port Harcourt streets for hours before armed thugs dispersed the crowd with sporadic shooting.
