PDP wins eight state constituencies, one House
seat, APC victorious in one constituency
• Wike, Peterside’s security aides in shootout, one
killed
• Amaechi, governor clash over ‘abducted’
collation officer
• Army explains arrest of SSG, police say four
dead, 24 apprehended
By Ernest Chinwo, Segun James and Shola Oyeyipo
in Port Harcourt
The Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) has released the results of nine state
constituencies and one federal constituency in
which rerun elections were held in Nigeria’s oil
hub, Rivers State, on Saturday, but the commission
was forced to suspend the electoral process in all
other constituencies in the state where results
were not announced due to the widespread
violence that marred the elections.
However, based on the results released yesterday,
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) consolidated
its control of the state by emerging victorious in
eight of the nine state constituencies and one
federal constituency seat, while the ruling All
Progressives Congress (APC) won one state
constituency seat.
But as results were announced, the state continued
its descent to anarchy as the violent battle for
control of the state was exacerbated by the
exchange of gunfire between security men in the
convoys of the Director General of Nigerian
Maritime Administration and Safety Agency
(NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, and the Chief of
Staff to the Rivers State governor, Mr. Emma Woke,
in Port Harcourt yesterday, resulting in the death of
Woke’s personal assistant. Sporadic shooting was
also reported at the Abonema area in Akuku Toru
Council, few kilometers to Port Harcourt, the state
capital.
This came as Governor Nyesom Wike and the
Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi,
squared off against each other at the Mile 1 Diobu
police station over a collation officer, Mrs. Ekwi
Adebisa, who was purportedly abducted Saturday
night by the former governor in company of
soldiers.
Confirming the outcome of the rerun polls, the
Director of Voter Education Publicity of INEC, Mr.
Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, informed THISDAY that the
results were released in nine state constituencies
and one federal constituency in the state.
He said PDP won in eight of the state
constituencies, while APC won one seat.
PDP, he said, also won one federal constituency
but did not give the names of the state or federal
constituencies in which results were declared.
Osaze-Uzzi also revealed that the release of further
results were suspended due to reports of violence,
attacks and even the deaths of INEC officials and
ad hoc personnel in the state.
He said all INEC personnel were relocated to Abuja
yesterday due to the escalation of violence in
Rivers State.
Also in a statement yesterday, he said INEC
conducted the polls in Rivers State pursuant to the
orders of the Court of Appeal, but “rather
unfortunately, some of these elections witnessed
the disruption of the process, including the
barricading of some of the INEC local government
offices and Registration Area Centres (RACs) used
for the distribution of electoral materials which led
to the late commencement of the exercise in some
places and consequently, its smooth take off.
“Of more serious concern was the level of threats,
violence and intimidation of election officials and
voters by well armed thugs and miscreants
allegedly acting on behalf of some politicians,
which marred the elections in some areas.
“There were reports of numerous attacks resulting
in fatalities, kidnappings, ballot snatching, diversion
of officials and materials, amongst others, which
necessitated its suspension in 8 local government
areas.
“Regrettably, such deviant behaviour has continued
today (yesterday). Several permanent and ad hoc
staff engaged by the commission have been
attacked, again resulting in fatalities, while some
have been forcibly abducted and taken to unknown
destinations.
“Under such difficult circumstances, the Returning
Officers were only able to collate and declare
results in one federal and nine state constituencies
where the disruption and malpractices were not so
widespread.
“Having reviewed the situation, the commission is
compelled to suspend all further action concerning
the exercise in all the other constituencies in the
state pending the receipt of a comprehensive
report from its field officials and monitors.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it should be noted
that the suspension does not affect the
constituencies where the exercise has been
completed and the results declared by the
Returning Officers,” he said.
However, unconfirmed results obtained by
THISDAY from the various collation centres for 11
state constituencies showed that PDP won 10
constituencies, namely: Akukutoru I (Major Jack),
Omuma (Kelechi Wogu), Degema (Farah Dagogo),
Ahoada East II (Edison Ehie), Ahoada East I
(Martins Manna), Emohua (Sam Ogeh), Akukutoru II
(Tonye Alalibo), Obio/Akpor I (Martin Amaewhule),
Obio/Akpor II (Michael Chindah), Ogba/Egbema/
Ndoni (Christopher Ahiakwor).
The candidate of the APC won in the Opobo/Nkoro
state constituency, while Betty Apiafi of the PDP
won the Abua Odua/Ahoada East Constituency to
the Federal House of Representatives.
Speaking on the shootout between the security
detail attached to Woke and Peterside, which
occurred yesterday evening at the UTC junction,
Azikiwe Road, Port Harcourt, Wike told journalists
that Peterside, who was the candidate of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) in the last
governorship election in the state, had gone to
INEC Registration Area Centre (RAC) in Isiokpo,
headquarters of Ikwerre Local Government Area
and allegedly snatched the election result sheets
for the council.
According to Wike, Peterside, who was with his
running mate, Honourable Asita and the APC state
chairman, Dr. Davies Ikanya, were then pursued by
Woke, who was the PDP agent for Ikwerre.
“The shooting happened because they were
chasing them (Peterside and Asita) from Isiokpo,”
Wike said.
He said when the security detail of Peterside saw
that the PDP agent was still following them as they
got to the junction leading to his (Peterside’s
residence, they opened fire leading to the death of
Woke’s aide.
But in his own account of the incident, Peterside
said it was an attack on his life, adding that he
was attacked by gunmen in two sports utility
vehicles when he was on his way home from the
Port Harcourt International Airport.
According to a statement he issued last night,
“Two SUVs belonging to Emeka Woke, Nyesom
Wike’s Chief of Staff, carrying two unknown
gunmen trailed us to UTC Junction and opened fire
on my car.
“Our car however did a detour to the DSS office
gate where we drove to seek refuge, but the
unknown gunmen opened fire again at the SSS
men on guard.
“The exchange of fire between the DSS men and
the assailants lasted for more than 30 minutes.
This is a very ugly experience but I thank God that
my colleagues and I escaped unhurt.
“Today’s experience is not only terrifying but also
shows the parlous state of security in Rivers State.
If I can be engaged openly by gunmen for nearly
an hour in the heart of Port Harcourt, only God
knows the fate that will befall members of our
party and those sympathetic to our predicament.
“What is happening today in our dear state is not
only horrible but also constitutes a serious
national security risk.”
Before the shootout, however, Wike and Amaechi,
squared off against each other at the Mile 1, Diobu
police station in the state capital over a collation
officer, Mrs. Adebisa, who was allegedly abducted
by the minister, Saturday night.
The development, which led to the suspension of
collation of results in the constituency, led to a
standoff between the leaders of the PDP and APC
yesterday.
Adebisa was allegedly taken to Novotel Hotel
where the duo of Amaechi and Peterside and the
acting Managing Director of NDDC, Mrs. Ibim
Semenitari, were lodged and results doctored.
The electoral officer was said to have been placed
in protective custody by Amaechi and Dakuku.
However, when PDP leaders including Wike got
wind of the fact that she had been placed in
protective custody at the Mile 1 police station, they
rushed to the station seeking an explanation.
Wike later alleged that Adebisa is the girlfriend of
the APC candidate for the Port Harcourt Federal
Constituency who framed her abduction alongside
other APC leaders. He went further to claim that
she had compromised the results placed in her
care in favour of the APC.
When Wike and some other PDP leaders stormed
the station, more than 400 soldiers arrived the
station with Amaechi, Peterside and Semenitari and
directed that Adebisa be released to them.
The former governor, Peterside, Semenitari and the
AIG Zone 6, Calabar, Mr. Baba Adisa Bolanta, were
said to have eventually left with her.
But reacting to the report, the Special Adviser
(Media) to the acting Managing Director/Chief
Executive Officer of NDDC, Bekee Anyalewechi said
there was no iota of truth in the story that was
peddled by the PDP-led Rivers State Government.
“We have received, with bemusement, the attempt
by the Rivers State Government and its image
managers to retell the facts of the incident of
Sunday, March 20 which occurred at the Mile 1
Police Divisional headquarters in Port Harcourt
when Rivers State governor, Ezebunwo Wike, in the
company of a retinue of aides, invaded the police
station and held the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) collation officer for Port
Harcourt Ward 10, Mrs. Ekwi Adebisa, hostage.
“Whereas it is not in our style to join issues with
any tier of government, it is imperative that we
state the facts because of the need to safeguard
our electoral process and strengthen the
confidence of our people in their leaders.
“Mrs. Ekwi Adebisa, the Port Harcourt City Ward 10
Collation Officer, for the March 19 rerun legislative
election in Rivers State, was moved by force to the
police station. The result she had collated was
separated from her.
“While at the police station, agents of the Rivers
State Government, brought her under duress to
write a statement that she had been abducted and
made to falsify the ward result by agents of All
Progressives Congress (APC).
“That they forced her to the police station and kept
her under traumatic conditions was in itself
criminal. But that they had forced the result she
had lawfully collated out of her custody was more
criminal,” Anyalewech said.
According to him, “Governor Wike had arrived the
police station accompanied by Sen. George Sekibo,
Mr. Austin Opara, Azubuike Nmerukini, as well as
other aides of the governor.
“As a leader in APC, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, acting
Managing Director, Niger Delta Development
Commission (NDDC), being in attendance at the
meeting, was among those delegated to go and
see what the actual development was.
“When Semenitari and others arrived the police
facility, they confirmed the report. In conclusion,
we state therefore, that it was shocking to read a
statement issued by Mr. Simeon Nwakudu, Special
Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on
Electronic Media, linking Semenitari to facts
contrary to the truth as stated here.”
Reacting to the performance of his political party,
the PDP, Wike said the rerun elections in the state
had shown clearly who is on the ground and is
accepted by the people.
He said the rerun elections had proved that the
control of INEC, the federal might, military, police
and other security agencies cannot translate to
electoral victories, as the people will always resist
agents of rigging.
Wike blamed the military for the deaths recorded in
Saturday’s election, alleging that the victims were
killed by the military and not by politicians or
residents of the state.
He also said most soldiers deployed for the
elections were used by the APC leaders to hijack
materials, illegally arrest PDP members and
manipulate the process.
He said the people resisted the attempt by the
military to subvert the electoral process.
He said the number of troops unleashed to
intimidate and harass Rivers people was
regrettable, even as they failed to tackle security
challenges in the country.
In a related development, the Nigerian Army
explained yesterday that it arrested the Secretary
to the Rivers State Government (SSG), Chief
Kenneth Kobani, for allegedly disrupting the last
Saturday’s rerun elections in the state.
This is as the Nigerian Police, Zone 6 Command,
said a total of 24 persons were arrested from
different parts of the state for various allegations of
criminal and electoral offenses during the rerun
elections.
The Commander, 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Port
Harcourt, Brigadier General Stephenson Olabanji,
who spoke to newsmen at the police headquarters
in Port Harcourt yesterday, said: “Many people
were arrested yesterday (Saturday) for disrupting
the electoral process and the law is not meant for
just the lower cadre alone. No matter who you are,
if you go against the law, you will definitely face
the music.
“So there is nothing like being the Secretary to the
State Government, many people were arrested as
you have been told. A lot of people were arrested.”
The army commander denied claims by the state
government that some of its commissioners and
other top officials were manhandled by men of the
Nigerian Army during the rerun elections.
He said: “If you say arrest, we can say yes, but
there was nothing like manhandling. We are meant
to protect civilians, not to manhandle them.”
In his remarks, the AIG in-charge of Zone 6 said
those arrested during the rerun elections were
currently undergoing interrogation at the State
Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Port
Harcourt.
“It is pertinent I let you know that we have 24
suspects comprising 22 males and 2 females in
police custody, who were arrested from different
parts of the state. They are presently undergoing
interrogation on allegations of criminal or electoral
offences or both,” Bolanta said.
Bolanta insisted that four deaths were recorded in
the state during the polls, pointing out that two
persons were killed at Buguma in Asari-Toru Local
Government Area, while two others were killed at
Nonwa-Tai, and Omuanwa communities in Tai and
Ikwerre Local Government Areas, respectively.
He said: “I am startled this morning after seeing
outrageous figure of deaths associated with the
elections as dished out by the media. To put the
records straight, four deaths were recorded with
two in Buguma, while Nonwa-Tai and Omuanwa
each...

http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/03/21/inec-releases-10-results-suspends-rivers-elections/

Following.

may God help Nigeria in 2019, inec cannot conduct election one state election, since APC got power, how will it conduct for the whole country.

Very lengthy,

The summary @ the top is very useful.





ThefakeStan

Hmmm is only a fool that act like