By: Felix Ikpotor
Following the delay by President Muhammadu Buhari in giving assent to the amended Electoral Bill which directs parties to choose their leaders through direct primaries, a socio-political pressure in Rivers State, the Rivers Voice of Freedom (RVF) has joined in urging the president to sign the bill into law.
RVF which is loyal to the Senator Magnus Ngei Abe led faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State noted that signing the bill into law will make for fairness and equity in the electoral process as the power to elect representatives will now be returned back to the people.
President-General of the group, Dominic Dumekpigi who made the call at a get-together event to mark the end of year activities of the body, also used the medium to re-echo the call on Senator Magnus Ngei Abe to contest for the governorship position of the state in 2023.
“Let me seize this opportunity to call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari that he was elected on the mandate of the people through the direct process and we want to call on him as a democrat, as a man who believes in equity, fairness, justice and freedom, as someone we see as a sincere person to sign the direct primaries bill into law.
“If this bill is signed into law, we assure that RVF will ensure that Senator Magnus Ngei Abe comes out victorious in 2023”
“We are also using this opportunity to re-echo our call on the Most Distinguished Senator Magnus Abe to come up and contest for the most viable position in Rivers State, for as Rivers people, we want transformation and development especially in the rural areas, we want to see a situation whereby the grassroot feels the impact of government and we have seen him as a man that has the ability to transform this state to the level where we want to be, where the youths can be accommodated and we are hopeful that he will heed to our call,” he said.
Commenting on the theme of the get-together: “The Strength of Togetherness in Political Emancipation,” Dumekpigi said there is bond in unity, adding that “when we come together and continue to stand together as a people we will achieve our target”.
Advising members of the group the RVF PG said, “we are going into a very serious business and Rivers Voice of Freedom is a grassroot mobilising unit of this struggle and as such we have given mandate to all local government chairmen to go back to their units and wards and be the preachers of the gospel of emancipation of Rivers State. Politics is won at the grassroot and units. I want to charge you to go back to your units, wards and villages, hold meetings with your people and tell them the necessity of transforming Rivers State. It’s time for the youths to stand and defend what they need.
He also pleaded with youths of Rivers to play politics without violence, bitterness and acrimony, without destroying one another, stressing that they cannot achieve anything by destroying one another.
He insisted that, “It’s time to resist any leader that wants to impose candidates on us”
Speaking at the event, Hon. Innocent Ajaelu who represented Senator Abe encouraged the group to go ahead with more sensitization especially amongst Rivers people and to be united and be strong in this struggle.
He expressed the hope that Abe would heed the call to contest in 2023.
In their goodwill messages, leaders of the party such as Hon. Henry Kponee, Chief Abel Olungwe and Gon. Fred Olungwe commended the group for the unity and vibrancy in them.
They urged the group to brace up and redoubled their efforts as 2023 beckons, adding that all hands must be on desk to ensure that Abe is delivered.
The party leaders also advised the group to stay focused and don’t be bothered by the number of those that has dropped behind in the struggle.
In his keynote address, the guest lecturer, Dr Chujur Fortune Chujur of the University of Port Harcourt while speaking on the theme of the get-together noted that togetherness was ordained by God.
He noted that this is the time for the group to work together since they are demanding for Abe to be governor in 2023.
He emphasized that the strength of togetherness in political emancipation is capable of liberating a people that have been enslaved.
“Our destiny is in our hands, hence we should be more united and work for it.
“It’s when we speak out that people will hear us. We have our voices to speak out for people to hear us.
“Today, resolve to pull your strengths, voices together to deliver Senator Abe,” he said.
Highpoints of the event was the presentation of an Award of Excellence on the President-General of the group by the National Union of Rivers State Students (NURSS) Abia State University Chapter.
