The member representing Obio Akpor Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda has criticised the approach to governance of the APC led Federal government saying that it has succeeded in weakening Nigeria’s democracy and created untold hardship for Nigerians.
“Our children growing up under this system will never appreciate what democracy and civilian rule is all about”, Chinda said, after receiving his Certificate of Return and his subsequent swearing-in as a member of the Green Chamber of the National Assembly in Abuja.
He called for the total overhaul of electoral institutions in Nigeria and reverence to the Rule of Law by the Federal Government. While decrying INEC’s attempt to turn Nigerian elections into a theatre of gorrilla warfare, where electoral victories are determined by might rather than by the collective will of the people, the national Legislator said, “It pains me that our democracy has been put on reverse gear. All the democratic gains of last 16 years, climaxed by the sportsmanship and best display of respect for democracy, rule of law and indeed love for Nigeria by former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in accepting defeat and congratulating General Mohamadu Buhari even before final results were announced.
“Today even where APC candidates are aware they lost, they go ahead to use intuitions of Government to foist themselves on the people or upturn the mandate of the people. For the first time in the history of democracy, soldiers were at the polling units and inside collation centres with guns and ordering INEC staff on what to do.
“Solders were deployed by civilians and took orders from civilians. This weakens institutions and encourages impunity.”
Hon. Chinda described the Re-run election in Rivers State as the worst organised election in the history of Nigerian elections. He said save for the insistence of the people who stood by and protected their votes, the military would have imposed unpopular and unwanted persons on Rivers people.
He however warned that, “If individuals continue to amass power at the expense of institutions, democracy will be dead and buried by 2019. A nation where the security institution is compromised and partisan is a finished nation.
Hon. Ogundu Kingsley Chinda reaffirmed his total commitment to the actualization of his campaign promises to the people of Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency as he admonished politicians to “say only what they mean and mean everything they say”.
He maintained that his landslide victory at the March 19th Re-Run election in Rivers State was a result of the resolute doggedness, and passionate desire for selfless representation by the people of Obio Akpor Local Government Area.
“I thank God for been returned. I will also want to appreciate the people of Obio/ Akpor in particular and Rivers State in general, for the support they gave to the People Democratic Party and indeed my humble self”, assuring that “…every promise we made during our campaign as far as we are concerned they are sacrosanct, they are cast on stone. I will fulfil those promises and go even beyond by God’s grace”.
“I appreciate the people of Obio/Akpor for the confidence reposed in me and reassure them that I will lead by serving and shall always be consionable and have reverence for God in my service to them”, he added.
