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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Forum of 18 Registered Political Parties, Rivers State chapter, has declared that the just concluded governorship and House of Assembly elections has changed the ugly narrative of “Rivers of blood”, which the state was tagged in the past.
The forum has, however, lauded Rivers electorate and security agencies for demonstrating professionalism during and after to polls.
Secretary of the forum, Mr. Omangima Harry, who read a 13-point communique in Port Harcourt, yesterday, said the activities and enterprise of that peaceful elections put an end to that ignoble and undeserved label on Rivers State.
He said: “Saturday the 18th of March, 2023, insists that never again can the narrative of our dear state be captioned as Rivers of Blood. The activities and enterprise of that peaceful and tranquil day put an end to that ignoble and undeserved label, as it also iterated the deserved rubric of our dear state as ‘Rivers of Peace’, “Rivers of Tranquility’, The Garden State’ and the Treasure Base of our Nation.
“This noble response by our dear citizens at the ballot, and the chivalrous conduct of our security agencies during the exercise, is worthy of commendation and provides an enriching glimpse of the possibilities that lie inherent in nation Nigeria, when we all dispose ourselves to equity, justice and fairness.”
The forum lauded the resilience of Rivers people, who believed in equity, fairness, justice and power rotation to the Rivers South East senatorial district.
According to Harry, before the presidential election, the forum had urged Rivers electorate to vote a southern president for equity, fairness and justice, and repeated the same call for Rivers South East senatorial district.
He said the emergence of president-elect, Bola Tinubu and governor-elect, Siminialayi Fubara, was a clear demonstration of the electorate’s believe in equity, fairness, justice and balance.
Harry declared: “This request was predicated on the premise of justice, fairness and equity. We all came out victorious with the election of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. On the same principle, we, the members of the 18 registered political parties once again appealed to the Rivers electorate to come all out and vote for justice, fairness and equity by voting for a Rivers candidate from riverine extraction of Rivers South East. Specifically, we requested you to vote for Sir. Siminalaye Fubara, a young and energetic technocrat.
“At dawn on the 19th of March 2023, the citizens of Rivers State, and the Nigerian nation woke up to the reality of the most peaceful and most organized elections in the history of Rivers State.”
“Further to our plea to the voting electorate of Rivers State, regarding the Gubernatorial and State House of Assembly polls that held on the 18th of March 2023, and the undeniably peaceful and decorous conduct of Rivers citizens during the exercise, Forum Of 18 Registered Political Parties Rivers State Chapter, wishes to express its gratitude to the citizens of the state.
“The commitment to professionalism as well as the unbiased objectivity that obviously guided the discharge of duties by the various security agencies, promoted an atmosphere of peace, tranquility and liberty that ensured an exercise that was free of rancour and infused with the most fundamental spirit of democracy.”
