The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Rivers State has dismissed claims that any politician can determine the outcome of the 2027 elections through boasts, intimidation or promises to the electorate.
The state chairman of the party, Chukwudi Dimkpa, stated this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday while reacting to recent comments by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Wike, during a civic reception organised in his honour by the Ikwerre Local Government Area in Omagwa on Saturday, reportedly said Rotimi Amaechi, the ADC’s vice-presidential candidate, would be defeated by 12 noon on election day.
However, Dimkpa described the claim as an empty boast, insisting that the people of Rivers State would determine the outcome of the election through their votes.
“Elections are not won by boasts, intimidation or political strongmen announcing results in advance. Rivers people will vote, the votes will be counted, and INEC, not Wike, will declare the winner,” he said.
The ADC chairman also criticised Wike and the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Charles Wobodo, for allegedly turning a political reception into an occasion to attack Amaechi while he was mourning his mother.
Dimkpa said the incident occurred on the same day Amaechi was burying his mother, Dame Ezinne Amaechi, in his hometown of Ubima, with mourners travelling from different parts of the country to attend the burial.
According to him, the decision to organise a political reception along the same route, allegedly causing traffic disruption and becoming a platform for political attacks, was “insensitive, provocative and embarrassing.”
He said there was “a time for politics and a time for humanity,” adding that Wike’s continued focus on his rivalry with Amaechi even during the former governor’s bereavement should prompt Rivers residents to reflect on the nature of the political contest.
Dimkpa said the ADC had deliberately refrained from responding to the alleged provocation at the time because its priority was ensuring that Amaechi’s late mother received a befitting burial.
He, however, warned that no individual could claim ownership of Rivers State or its electorate.
“But Wike should understand that Rivers State belongs to all of us. Nobody owns the people, nobody owns their votes, and certainly, nobody can declare an election result by 12 noon,” he said.
The ADC chairman urged Rivers residents not to allow themselves to be intimidated ahead of the 2027 elections.
He called on voters to carefully assess the candidates and elect credible leaders capable of improving their lives and contributing meaningfully to the development of the state.
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