Awara urged his supporters to be law-abiding and not opt for violence, even as he hoped that his "stolen" mandate would be reclaimed at the tribunal.
Biokpomabo Awara
Rivers State governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) Biokpomabo Awara has raised the alarm on plots to assassinate him.
Awara insisted that he was robbed of his victory in the March 9 governorship election by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who, according to him, connived with leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said: “Information reaching me is that thugs have been dispatched to assassinate me, even in Abuja, since I have refused to give up on my mandate.”
Awara maintained that as at when collation of results was suspended on March 10, he had 281,000 votes, as against Governor Nyesom Wike’s 79,000 votes. But, he said, INEC officials quickly came to the governor’s rescue. He urged his supporters to be law-abiding and not opt for violence, even as he hoped that his “stolen” mandate would be reclaimed at the tribunal.
The candidate was also displeased that his agent, Dr. Lawrence Chuku, was barred from the collation centre inside INEC office on April 2 and 3, but said the commission’s “compromised” officials and security personnel allowed Nenye Kocha, who was accused of impersonating AAC, as the party’s collation agent.
But PDP chairman Felix Obuah said efforts dissipated by “evil forces” to subvert the people’s will failed.
He was happy that almost one week after Wike’s victory, jubilation still pervaded the state.
He said: “Never in the history of Rivers State has there been a singular occasion where all strata of the society – farmers, market men and women, fishermen, civil servants, pensioners, religious groups and even members of the opposition political parties rejoiced at an electoral victory.
“How else could a people demonstrate total acceptability of a leader? How else could they express their love for that leader; a man that is passionate about the people’s welfare; a man who has defied every odd to prove that good governance is possible? Rivers people have shown that the victory of Governor Wike is well deserved…”