Rivers re-run: Dickson seeks probe of violence, congratulates Wike, winners

Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, on Tuesday, commended the winners of the recent State and National Assembly re-run elections in Rivers State but called on the Presidency to investigate perpetrators of electoral violence and punish the culprits to protect the nation’s democracy.
According to him, the resilience and bravery of his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, the Chiefs and people of Rivers State was a manifestation of the peoples resolve and conviction in the nation’s democracy.
Dickson, in a congratulatory message to Governor Wike, the government and people of Rivers State, also praised the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its supporters throughout the state for resisting attempts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its collaborators to subvert the collective will of the people as was evidenced in the polls.
He also condemned the action of the security agencies, “who instead of being neutral, became openly biased and supportive to the opposition in its efforts at maiming, intimidating and derailing the process.”
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari and other relevant organs of the government to “carry out a thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators of election violence to book to protect the nation’s democracy and serve as a deterrent to others.”
Dickson expressed gratitude to the PDP in Rivers State and Wike for defying all the odds to achieve victory for the party in all the elections.
He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and other major stakeholders to protect the nation’s democracy through proper conduct of future elections, in line with the tenets and practice of democracy all over the world.
The governor also used the opportunity to congratulate all the PDP candidates, who emerged victorious and party faithful “for reposing so much confidence in the party and its candidates in the elections.”