Rivers state gives President Goodluck Jonathan the highest number of votes to enable him win the 2011 presidential election. 1.8 M votes. we too much

ident Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is the indisputable winner of the Saturday’s presidential election in Rivers State, scoring a total of 1,817,762 votes out of the total valid votes of 1,854,116 votes.

Jonathan overwhelmingly won in the twenty three local government areas of the state, recording the highest votes in Obio/Akpor local government area, where he scored 370, 000 votes, while the presidential candidates of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), scored 1, 170, and 3, 470 respectively.

In Asari Toru local government area, where Jonathan pulled 37, 523 votes, the lowest in the 23 councils, Ribadu scored 104, while Buhari scored 71 votes.

The figure, which was announced by the collating officer, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, the VC of the University of Port Harcourt, at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), also announced that out of the total vote cast of 1875476, there were a total of 1,854116 valid votes. A total of 21, 360 votes were voided or rejected.

According to the total figure released, the ACN pulled a total vote of 16, 383, while CPC pulled 13,182 to emerge second and third respectively.

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Aniedi Ikoiwak, commended the INEC officials, returning officers, and others who participated in making the polls a success.

Reacting on the outcome of the election, the chairman of the Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation, Hon Victor Giadom, said it was a demonstration that the people of the state had spoken of their love for Jonathan and Sambo.

“Rivers people have spoken clearly. If you have a good product, its very easy to sell. Tomorrow will be better. This process has been very transparent, so there wont be any need to go to court. Ninety five per cent of the voters in Rivers voted for the PDP, it’s a mass movement,” he said.

Giadom urged the people of the state to translate the victory at the presidential polls, to victory at the governorship and state assembly polls.

Also speaking, the state agent for PDP, Chief Nyeson Wike, said he was not surprised at the victory, noting that the performance of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in the state would enable the people to vote for the party.

“It shows that there are no other party challenging the PDP in Rivers State,” he said, adding that the party was expecting Jonathan to win the majority vote cast, and avoid a run-off.

“We are not afraid of any run-off. We don’t envisage there will be a run-off.”

Wike, who is also the Chief of Staff Government House, said he was also expecting Amaechi to defeat all other candidates in the governorship election.

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