Ahead of Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory polls, the former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has said chairmanship and councillorship elections should not be about the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
He disclosed when he visited the palace of His Highness Selim Ibn Buhari Al-Hajji Awal Musa Ijakuru II in Bwari, Abuja, on Wednesday.
He said Abuja residents should come out en masse on election day to protect and make sure their votes are counted.
According to him, residents should ensure they are conversant with candidates they intend to vote for so that they hold him/her accountable.
He noted that Saturday’s polls, which are described as more crucial than the presidential election, would be centered around Abuja residents, not about Minister Wike.
“Know your candidates, and know your choices, and make sure that you commit to where you believe your community will get better.
“The first way to checkmate rigging is to make sure you bring a candidate that people will like so people will have interest in the election. They will be interested in the outcome. And then the people will come out en masse.
“Once they come out en masse, they will come and vote, and they will wait to see that the vote counts. And in an Area Council election, you only have three steps.
“The polling unit, the ward, and the Area Council. So it is easier to checkmate any kind of manipulation.
“We have come here to let the people know that, no, it is not Wike. It is you who will determine who will be your chairman and your councillor.”
On his part, Abubakar Sadiq Abdullahi, SDP Bwari Council Chairmanship candidate, said in democracy, the people’s will is ultimate.
“Government that belongs to everybody, not what we are having today,” he said.
