The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected “the purported results for Etche State Constituency and Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency Etche/Omuma rerun elections reportedly declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday.” It said that the “purported results are for the rerun elections that were earlier declared inconclusive by the Returning Officers, Prof. Olatunbosun Odusanya and Prof. Omotola respectively at the Okehi, Saturday. They had subsequently announced that the conclusion of the process would take place today (Sunday) or on Monday.”

A statement signed by Rivers State APC Chairman, Chief (Dr.) Davies Ibiamu Ikanya JP, said: “We were taken aback when it was reported that the National Electoral Commissioner in charge, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu had ordered that the incomplete results be declared despite the earlier declaration by the two Returning Officers on Saturday at Okehi that the elections were inconclusive.

“The APC vehemently rejects the results as declared today (Sunday) at the State INEC Office in Port Harcourt. This action by INEC runs counter and contradictory to earlier announcement on Saturday by the aforementioned Returning Officers who are the duly empowered persons to make such declarations. What INEC did today is a rape on democracy and the APC will surely resist it with every legal window available to it. INEC can only do what it did today because Gov. Nyesom Wike has, as usual, generously compromised key officials of INEC in Rivers State.

“The APC notes that despite the general outcry concerning Gov. Nyesom Wike’s interference in the electoral process, the governor physically held hostage a Returning Officer to force him announce results in a manner unbecoming of a governor. We condemn this and call on INEC leadership and security agencies to investigate this unfortunate incidence.

“We recall that this same compromised INEC in Rivers State embarked on the now infamous 2015 elections which is unarguably the worst election in the annals of Nigeria.

During the December 10, 2016 rerun that followed, INEC continued to exhibit unwarranted contradictions and unwholesome mishandling of the process which resulted in the further rescheduling of the rerun elections for Etche State Constituency and Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency. Sadly, INEC has, once again, bungled it.”

Update news