Enough of unending troubles – Clark tells Rivers people
Chief Edwin Clark, a well-known South-South leader and former federal commissioner for information, has praised President Bola Tinubu and Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State for the orderly conduct of the local government elections on Saturday.
It's time to break the cycle of problems and diversion, Clark said in a statement he personally signed on Monday in Abuja. He stressed the value of unity among the people of Rivers State and urged them to cooperate to guarantee long-term peace and development in the area.
He said that the successful elections showed the maturity and patriotism of Rivers citizens and Nigerians in general, and he expressed his happiness with the high voter participation. In spite of what he claimed was a planned boycott of police involvement in the elections, Clark praised the outcome, highlighting that it showcased the community’s ability to manage its affairs without external interference.
As the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Clark noted the significance of conducting a statewide local government election without police involvement, a first in Nigeria’s electoral history, where security agencies are typically present with considerable funding allocated for their deployment.
He remarked, “The fact that a statewide local government election can be conducted in a free, fair, and credible manner without the loss of lives and destruction of property is a remarkable experience.”
Clark compared the last governorship election in Edo State, which resulted in complaints and contestations, with the peaceful polls in Rivers State. In Edo State, approximately 40,000 police personnel were deployed for the election. In order to discover measures to lower the enormous expenses connected with Nigerian elections, he encouraged the Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to look into this issue.
Declaring that the people of Rivers State had faith in the newly elected chairmen, vice-chairmen, and councillors, Clark expressed his sincere congratulations in his message.
Along with thanking the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission and Governor Siminalayi Fubara for fostering an atmosphere that allowed for credible elections, he also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for making sure that security agencies exercised restraint, which helped the polls turn out well.
As he saw the recent elections as a chance to move past previous political crises—which he described as a struggle between good and evil rather than an ethnic issue—Clark urged the people of Rivers State to unite in the spirit of peace and progress.
Nearing his 98th birthday, Clark promised to keep pushing for Nigeria's democracy to be solidified. He expressed the hope that Rivers State's peaceful election process would serve as a model for other states in the country, reducing the need for security intervention and averting pointless political scheming.
"May God continue to bless Nigeria," he said in closing.
As he saw the recent elections as a chance to move past previous political crises—which he described as a struggle between good and evil rather than an ethnic issue—Clark urged the people of Rivers State to unite in the spirit of peace and progress.
Nearing his 98th birthday, Clark promised to keep pushing for Nigeria's democracy to be solidified. He expressed the hope that Rivers State's peaceful election process would serve as a model for other states in the country, reducing the need for security intervention and averting pointless political scheming.
"May God continue to bless Nigeria," he said in closing.
