As Nigeria clocks 61 years on Friday October 1 governor of rivers state Nyesom Wike has raised an alarm over alleged plans to rig the 2023 general elections.
He made the allegations on Sunday during an interdenominational church service in commemoration of the nation’s independence anniversary at the Saint Paul’s Anglican cathedral in Port Harcourt.
“All the countries are talking about how the elections will be transparent while we are talking about how we will plot to rig an election in 2023 the governor said.
He also raised concerns over why Nigeria is yet to adopt the electronic mode of transmission of election results.
Wike believes that Nigerians should have had a good reason to celebrate the country at 61 if the electoral system is made a little stronger by introducing electronic transmission of results.
In his words:
“Transmit results electronically to show transparency to show that we are really declaring who won the elections and is not seen as a problem I thought by now we should be talking about how this country will be competing with other developed Nations”.
The governor also lamented the societal ills in the country blaming poor leadership for Nigeria’s challenges.
Wike therefore challenged Nigerians to take personal responsibility to ensure that values that will entrench better society as strengthened the country as it marks 61 years of independence and makes the social cultural problems and ethno-religious intolerance are in place.
According to him,
“it feels disappointing that Nigeria at 61 years is yet to have a truelly independent legislative and judicial arms that focuses on the country’s financial Management”
speaking further he laments that the legislature is not playing its role of holding the executive to account.
He took a swipe at the National assembly for not checking the excesses of the Federal government especially with respect to excessive borrowings… it will be recalled that only last week governor Wike insisted that value-added tax should be the prerogative of the state governments, a stance that created a rift with the Federal government over the issue of tax collection.
Wiki added:
“What are we celebrating about 61 years old we have a Congress where anything goes… where is the legislature? A legislature that cannot speak… a legislature wear anything they bring is right?.”
“A legislature that cannot say that Nigeria is gotten to the age of conducting a free and fair election, the legislature that will close your eyes anytime they bring money borrow you borrow where are the courts? The courts have been intimidated the judges have abandoned their responsibility out of fear of what will happen Wike Said.”
© Control TV 2021
