PDP sweeps two senatorial seats

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidates as winners of the rest of the two Senate seats in Rivers State, eliciting celebratory dance steps by Governor Nyesom Wike round Port Harcourt, the state capital.
Declaring the result for Rivers East Senatorial District, Returning Officer, Onu Ekumankama announced that PDP’s George Sekibo polled 98,098 votes to defeat Andrew Uchendu of  the APC  who polled 34,193 votes. For Rivers West Senatorial District, Returning Officer for the District, another professor, Raphael Ndubuisi Echebiri, declared that PDP’s Osinakachukwu Ideozu polled 107,166 votes to defeat APC’s Otelemaba Amachree (former speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly) who scored 46,898 votes.
The PDP went into wild jubilation and the governor led the supporters round the state capital.
Wike commended his supporters for standing up in defence of democracy and the interest Rivers State.
A Government House statement quoted the governor thus: “What has happened today will not happen in 2019. Now they have told us, they will see that we will also be prepared.  This will not happen again. I have told the security agencies, you come and collect security money from me and use it against Rivers people.  Enough is enough. They will now be depending on NDDC for their funding.  Let me see where it will take them to”.
Meanwhile, Magnus Abe of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who has been declared winner of the rerun elections for the Senate in Rivers South-East (mainly Ogoni areas), says Governor Nyesom Wike of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) must congratulate him without further delay.
This is as the PDP has said there was no election in Ogoni land and that anyone claiming to the contrary was a criminal.
The PDP has gone ahead to reject the results that produced Abe and other APC lawmakers, but celebrated the results that gave victory to its own members.
Ade even went ahead to declare some results and said his party won, though he urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to confirm what he announced.
Abe, the one-time secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG) of Rivers State who defended and almost led a protest for Wike (then chief of staff in Government House, Port Harcourt), who was bombarded and arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to explain why N4.5billion found its way into a bank account belonging to him, had said the governor promised to congratulate him (Abe) if he won.
The senator-elect, a lawyer and member of the past Senate, said in his acceptance speech: “I also want to use this opportunity to extend a hand of friendship to the executive Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and to say to him that he had promised that there was nothing personal in this contest and he has said that if I win he will congratulate me. The only barometer for measuring success in an election in this country is the declaration by the INEC; and the Commission has declared me the winner. I want to call on the governor to keep his words and send me his letter and words of congratulation because I have won.”
He said victory did not come easy: “First is to say that this has been a titanic struggle; it has been a very difficult two years for Rivers people and for all of us. My victory in this election is a reward for faithfulness. I have been faithful to my party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). I have been faithful to my people, the people of the Rivers South East Senatorial District and I have been faithful to my leaders and I think God in his infinite mercies has rewarded me with this unprecedented victory. There is no victor, no vanquished.”