Dr. Dakuku Peterside, governorship candidate of the All Progressives
Congress, APC in Rivers State has hailed today’s verdict of the Appeal
Court endorsing the earlier judgement of the Rivers Elections Petitions
Tribunal on the nullification of April Rivers State governorship election.
Reacting to the judgement, Peterside praised the Nigerian judiciary for
its courage and efforts towards deepening the nation’s democracy and
political process.
According to him, the judiciary will be remembered for standing tall even
in the face of unwarranted provocation and vilification by those who
brazenly stole the peoples’ mandate during the March and April elections
in Rivers State.
He also congratulated the people of Rivers State for their patience and
understanding especially in view of the painful process of reclaiming
their mandate.
“I am happy that the Nigerian judiciary is rekindling hope in our
electoral process and in our country generally. This is so because the
judiciary is sending the right signal, particularly to those who
perpetrate violence and fraud during elections.
“Never again will a peoples’ mandate be subverted so viciously by a
violent and self-seeking few, all in the name of political contest.
Members of our party and supporters were murdered in cold blood in their
homes and campaign grounds for their political beliefs. We are happy that
this injustice is currently being addressed by a credible institution like
the judiciary.
“We pray never to experience the level of persecution, violence and deaths
that characterised both the March and April elections in our state.
Democracy is about freedom, equality and justice; so everybody must join
hands to defend it at all times.
“I therefore wish to dedicate our victories in the legislative and
executive arms to our fallen brothers and sisters, our supporters and the
entire Rivers people for believing in us and for keeping faith.
“Our state will be great again if and only when we vote into public
office, our sons and daughters who will not bring shame to us by their
words and actions.
“We, members of the APC know the needs of our people as we fully
appreciate the leadership crisis rocking our state today. You have
sacrificed and waited all these agonizing months for justice. Now, justice
has come. I commend you and urge you to hold on a little more as we all
march collectively towards entrenching the kind of leadership that would
serve our overall interest irrespective of our political persuasions.