Amaechi to INEC - 'Give us free, fair elections'

Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure an impartial and transparent electoral process in the forthcoming elections.

Amaechi, who made this call on Wednesday during a visit of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Gesila Khan, to the governor at the Government House in Port Harcourt, warned that the problem of writing of election results should be nipped in the bud in order to allow Nigerians choose credible leaders in the forthcoming elections.


The governor alleged that some politicians were purchasing permanent voter cards, adding that Nigerians were looking up to INEC to conduct free and fair elections even if there were attempts to rig.

“The history of Nigeria will not be complete without INEC. The history can be positive or negative, but it depends on whether officials of INEC like you (REC) are ready to write your name in gold in the book of history.

“We don’t want rigging and writing of election results. A lot of politicians, I hear, are buying Permanent Voter Cards. That is why Nigerians are asking for change, because, Nigerians are looking up to INEC to ensure impartiality and transparent electoral process on March 28, 2015.

“Remember, those who try to stop change are usually consumed by change itself. All what Nigerians are asking for is a transparent process, especially if the card readers you introduce will work without manipulation.

“It means you are beginning to transform the process for better in order to allow Nigerians to choose their leaders without rigging,” the governor added.

Explaining that Nigerians were yearning for good leadership that will tackle the problems of hunger and poverty, Amaechi noted that Nigerians had been neglected by greedy and self-serving politicians.

He said, “Nigerians are yearning for good leadership and your responsibility is to promote that good leadership because everybody will account for his or her actions. There is hunger and poverty on the streets and we cannot allow politicians to continue to cart away what belongs to our people.”

The governor expressed his administration’s readiness to support INEC in the state, saying, “We are calling on INEC to allow us to choose our leaders, and I am sure, if INEC succeeds, we will choose good leaders.”