Women Protest Cancellation Of Wike’s Election

SCORES of market women in Rivers State took to the streets on Thursday
to protest the nullification of the election of the State Governor,
Chief Nyesom Wike.

The women, who were from various markets in Port Harcourt and other
parts of the state, had marched from Aba Road to Government House in
the state capital to express their dissatisfaction over the annulment
of the April 11, 2015 governorship election.

Carrying placards with various inscriptions that captured their
feelings about the recent political development in the state, the
women said they needed peace in the state with Wike as the governor.

Some of the inscriptions on the placards read, 'Wike is the People's
choice', Ogu/Bolo is behind Wike', 'Cancellation of Wike's election is
not justice', and 'On Wike, we stand'.

The Organising Secretary of Rivers Market Women Association, Mrs.
Evelyn Nweke, explained that majority of the people in the state voted
for Wike, adding that the market women were not happy with the ruling
of the State Election Petitions Tribunal.

Nweke, who spoke shortly after the protest, stated that while
elections in All Progressives Congress-controlled states were upheld
by the court, elections in states where the Peoples Democratic Party
held sway were cancelled.

"Despite the ruling, we are happy that Governor Wike is still on seat
in Government House. We will not insult the judiciary. Every judge has
the right to give whatever decision he likes, but God has the final
say.

"We are aware of how the Wike's administration paid pensioners their
pensions after they were owed for months by the immediate past
administration. We want peace in Rivers; we are happy with our
governor and it is unacceptable to say that elections did not hold in
Rivers," she added.

The protesting market women, who later took their protested to the
state PDP secretariat located along Port Harcourt-Aba expressway, were
later addressed by party officials.

In his response, the State PDP Deputy Chairman, Mr. Monwan Etete,
thanked the market women for making their protest a peaceful one,
adding that the party was also worried over the ruling of the
tribunal.

Etete expressed optimism that the Appeal Court would look into the
position of the party and upturn the ruling by the lower court.

He said, "It is only mothers and good women that can demonstrate
peacefully the way you did today. We as a party are not also happy
about the judgement of the court, but we believe that with our appeal,
the decision of the court would be upturned in our favour."

Etete, however, promised the women that the state PDP would take their
grievance to the state governor.

-PUNCH