The incubent Governor of Rivers State and Peoples Democratic Party Governorship Candidate in the staye, Nyesom Wike was on Wednesday declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The State Returning Officer, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Professor Teddy Addia, declared that Governor Wike poll 886,264 votes to defeat his closest rival Biokpomabo Awara of the AAC who polled one hundred and seventy three thousand eight hundred and nine votes.
INEC resumed collation and announcement of results on Tuesday and eventually declared the wimner on Wednesday (today)
The collation and announcement of result was earlier suspended after the March 9 governorship and state house of assembly election due to violence and alleged unprofessional behaviour of some security agents.
Former Vice president and PDP Presidential Candidate in the March 23 election, Atiku Abubakar while reacting to the re-election of Governor Wike said “Congratulations Governor Nyesom Wike. It gives me much pleasure to see a political force such as yourself, overcome the anti-democratic forces of dictatorship and oppression.
“I am sure you will continue the pattern of good works for which you have become renowned.”
Also reacting, PDP’s spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan congratulated Wike on his victory.
In a statement on Wednesday, the party said the victory reinforced the confidence of the people in the resoluteness of asserting their democratic choice of leadership as well as standing in defence of their mandate to the end.
PDP congratulated all its candidates, who won elections at all levels across the country and assured those “pursuing their stolen mandates at the tribunals” that the party was fully behind them.
“The party said Governor Wike’s record 700,000 votes margin of victory over the disgraced combined anti-people forces of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the African Action Congress (AAC) and compromised security agencies speaks volume of the resilience of the people of Rivers State in the face of intimidations, harassment and manipulations by oppressive forces.