The People’s Democratic Party in Rivers State has accused the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of elections in the state, DIG Lakanu, of mounting undue pressure on the Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Obo Efanga, to re-inject earlier rejected results from two local governments of the state.
A Senior Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor, Barr Oraye St. Franklyn, said the move was intended to heighten tension in the state.
“The pressure being mounted by the INEC chairman is a complete travesty of democracy which is capable of undermining the credibility of the entire election.
He recalled that results from Emohua, Ikwerre, Okrika and Asari Toru local government areas were earlier rejected by the commission through its respective Local Government Area Electoral Officers (EOs) who confirmed them to be concocted by the military at gunpoint.
He further recalled that “Rivers State as well as other states like Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom, strongholds of the People’s Democratic Party have witnessed undue militarisation during the elections.
“Elections had to be shifted in Akuku Toru local government area of Rivers State due to near-war scenario that reportedly claimed not less than 15 lives including at least a military officer and an INEC official.
“In Okrika 4 wards elections could not hold the elections because election materials meant for them were hijacked by the military under the command of one Capt. Inuwa working with the Divisional Police Officer of the LGA, Nasiru Gambo. The said Capt. Inuwa was leading soldiers later in the same day to confiscate collated results from the Collation centre.” He alleged that similar scenarios played out in Emohua and Ikwerre LGAs, where the election officer claimed to have been abducted by a minister in the current APC administration.
Franklyn accused Aso Rock of being behind the moves to include the concocted results in order to shore up President Buhari’s electoral fortune to the mandatory 25 per cent votes in Rivers State.
“INEC chairman has no business with deciding what the results should be. Has he become an interested Party in the election?”he questioned.
