‘Mount Pressure On Buhari To Conduct Free, Fair Elections In 2023’- Wike Begs UN

United Nations and other world bod­ies have been urged to mount pressure on President Muhammadu Bu­hari to conduct free and fair elections in 2023.

 

 

Newsonline reports that Rivers State governor, Nye­som Wike, urged the United Nations agencies in particu­lar to continue to advocate for a free, fair and transparent electoral process in Nigeria.

 

This online newspaper understands that Governor Wike stated this during a working visit by Ed­ward Kallon, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, at the Govern­ment House, Port Harcourt on Monday.

 

Speaking through his Dep­uty, Dr. (Mrs.) Ipalibo Harry Banigo, Governor Wike said Rivers State believes that strengthening democratic in­stitutions is the way to go.

 

“In all our activities, we al­ways operate democratically. In the last two local govern­ment elections we have had, we had inclusiveness of wom­en not only as vice chairmen, but also councilors. We believe strongly that we have to sup­port democratic institutions in Nigeria, and demonstrate it here in Rivers State, where we have the opportunity to do it, and also to develop strong in­stitutions in education, health, infrastructure and in human capital development”, Gover­nor Wike further stressed.

 

The governor expressed regret that at a time when the whole country was moving on digital form, we could not agree on electronic transmis­sion of results, which, accord­ing to him, would curb insecu­rity in the country.

 

“Like you have rightly said, this country has a good role to play in the West African scene, we are condemning what is happening in Guin­ea, we spoke against what is happening in Mali, we have to demonstrate it here, we cannot allow this country to go into 2023 elections without the electronic voting passed as a bill, we cannot.

 

“Please whatever advocacy level you can use, I think this is the time to speak loud and clear, because the stability of a democratic nation all over the world is based on its elec­toral process, and if the elec­toral process continues to be insincere and continues to be non-transparent, there cannot be any peace”, Governor Wike noted.

 

Governor Wike, who in­sisted that his administration is interested in the socio-eco­nomic development of the Riv­ers people, expressed delight with the partnership between the Rivers State government and the UN, while thanking the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordina­tor and his team for their self­less service in the state.

 

In his remarks the United Nations Resident and Hu­manitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, said the purpose of his mission to Rivers State was to reinforce the partnership between the United Nations and the Rivers State government to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerate im­plementation of the SDGs to build back better; and contin­ue to create durable solutions for economic transformation in the state, adding that sever­al UN agencies have on-going programmes in Rivers State.

 

He commended Governor Wike-led administration for its commitment to better the lots of the Rivers People.