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. The party in a statement issued this morning in Port Harcourt dismissed the result so far announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as fake, insisting that 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.

Ikanya lamented that “Rivers people were disenfranchised as hell was let loose throughout the state, with Rivers PDP mobilising 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 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).

Rivers APC said that among those injured by the blood-thirsty 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 Akukutoru 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 Bomu, Gokana. Bormu Ward 7, Gokana Mr. Orage was a victim of PDP’s blood-thirsty 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.”

•Photo shows Rivers APC guber candidate Dakuku Peterside.

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