Rivers Market Women Protest Cancellation Of Wike’s Election

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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.

The women walked from Old Township to the PDP secretariat where they presented their grievances to the PDP chairman in Rivers State, Felix Obuah. These women didn't come to play.