The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) has dismissed Saturday's governorship and House of Assembly
elections in the State as a sham and a tragedy, insisting that the result so
far announced by INEC as fake as there was no election in the State in the true
sense of the word.
“What took place was a macabre dance of intimidation
and violence perpetrated against peace-loving APC members, after which results
were written in favour of Chief Nyesome Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP). It is therefore evident that the announcement of winners for these polls
is a travesty of justice and a rape of democracy. We insist that the purported
Governorship and House of Assembly elections be cancelled in their totality and
a new date set for proper polls as prescribed by law. We hope that INEC will
enforce the rights of Rivers people to free, fair and credible elections by
heeding to this clarion call,” Rivers State Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies
Ibiamu Ikanya, said on Monday morning.
Ikanya in a statement in Port Harcourt lamented that
Rivers people were disenfranchised as hell was let loose throughout the State,
with Rivers PDP mobilizing militants who went on rampage shooting, bombing and
killing, sending at least nineteen (19) APC members to their early graves for
attempting to prevent the rigging plot of PDP in conjunction with the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and some policemen led by DCP
Amadi.
Rivers APC declared unequivocally that the elections
were fraught with violence and unbridled manipulation and intimidation while no
voting took place in most parts of Rivers State. It gave details of the sixteen
APC members killed in various parts of the State as follows:
1. At Thai LGA Lekia Nkirine was shot dead while
Gbaraka Nna was shot on the neck. Monday Ngbor, a PDP chieftain in the area,
bought the guns while Hon. Nwimene Sunday did the shooting in company of Uelor
Bob, Nkue, Lucky Ngbarabara, Jolly Ngbor, Barika Ngbor, Barika Jonah, Barimene
and Nene.
2. In Buguma in Asari-Toru LGA seven APC members were
killed with three killed and thrown into the waters and one beheaded. Two buses
and INEC office were burnt while the house of the Commissioner for Women
Affairs was bombed. These exclude tens of buildings and cars that were
destroyed.
3. Three were killed at Etche LGA.
4. One was killed in Ikwerre LGA
5. Two APC members were murdered at Egbeda Ward 1 of
Emouha LGA while Hon. Chidi Lloyd the Rivers State House of Assembly Leader was
beaten to stupor while attempting to prevent the rigging of the election in his
constituency.
6. In Obga/Egbema/Ndoni LGA there were at least five
reported deaths, namely, Obinna Ndubuoke, Jeophat Kingdom, Ndidi Ebere, Sydney
Wokocha and Hon. Clever Orukwowu (APC Youth Leader).
Among those injured by the bloodthirsty PDP thugs are
the following:
1. Evangelist Faith, who was beaten to stupor at Dere
in Andoni LGA. Her whereabouts remain unknown.
2. Mr. Alifor Onyeso, shot by armed thugs led Hon.
Kelechi Nwogu, PDP House of Assembly candidate for Omuma.
3. Chimenem Wagu, shot by PDP thugs and still in
critical condition in Omanwa in Ikwerre LGA.
4. In Gokana Ward 4, Tambari Ngiah was kidnapped from
his polling unit 005.
5. In Khana Ward 2, Richard Dee Kae was matcheted and
is in critical condition.
6. In Khana Ward 15, Eric Gbobo was stabled.
7. In Obio Akpor, Ward 3, Rumuokwurusi, Emenihe Worgu
was beaten up by PDP thugs and is lying in hospital.
8. Another APC stalwart, Kingsley Orlu, was beaten up
by over 10 PDP thugs.
9. Solomon Orlu's leg was almost hacked into two.
10. In Okrika Ward 5 Adiye Dikibo was injured in the
right hand and in one eye. It is doubtful if doctors will save the eye.
Ikanya in the statement said that elsewhere in the
State, disenfranchisement of voters, intimidation, harassment and outright
manipulation of already announced results at the various units were the order
of the day. Giving examples, he said: “75 electoral officers were arrested by
officers of the Mobile Police Detachment 56 for thumb-printing ballots for the
PDP in the home of Dr. Jacobson Ndina, in Sime, Tai LGA. They are still at the
Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Rivers State Police Command.
“There was violence in all parts of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni
LGA, all wards in Okrika, parts of Andoni such as Ikuru Town, Isiodum, Ward 8
in Tai LGA, Ogbakiri in Emuohua LGA and even in Akuku-toru and Asari Toru LGAs.
In Asari Toru Local Government, there were gunshots and explosion of dynamite
all trough Friday night and well into Saturday. The mayhem was such that even
the governorship candidate of APGA could not even be accredited.
In Bormu Ward 7, Gokana Mr. Orage was a victim of
PDP's bloodthirsty goons who sought to destroy his house. The PDP hoodlums,
dazed at the boldness of Orage who had challenged their rigging plots, threw
Improvised Explosives Device, IEDs (dynamites) at his house. The hoodlums also
threw IEDs at election venues in Ward 7, dispersing voters and subsequently
carted away election materials. As a
result, there was no election in the entire Ward.
“Simply put, there were no elections in Rivers State
and anyone who says otherwise is an enemy of this State. We had vigorously
campaigned for the redeployment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs.
Gesila Khan, because of her well-known support for PDP but our cries were
ignored. Now, what we feared has happened – even worse than we feared. We
cannot in all honesty accept the results announced, either for the Governorship
or State Assembly elections. We therefore appeal to INEC Chairman, Prof.
Attahiru Jega, to save Rivers State from doom by cancelling these purported
elections and rescheduling them.”
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