By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Rivers State governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Arc. Tonye Patrick Cole; National Rescue Movement (NRM), Amb. Sobomabo Jackrich; Action Alliance (AA), Dr. Dawari George; Accord, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs; and African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Tonte Ibraye, have raised an alarm, alleging a grand plot by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “to manipulate, alter and rig the Governorship and state House of Assembly election in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) come Saturday, February 18.”

Addressing journalists in a joint press conference in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the candidates said the plot is being planned in connivance with officials of Rivers State Government and PDP.

They said: “We uncovered a well-orchestrated plot by certain top officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Rivers State to compromise the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections slated for Saturday, March 18, 2023.

“The plot is being planned in connivance with officials of Rivers State Government and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rig the March 18th Governorship and State House of Assembly elections in Rivers State in favour of PDP candidates in the respective elections.

“We are reliably informed of the recent plots by the Governor of Rivers State to use the instrumentality of the 23 Local Government Area Council Secretariats serving as LGA Collation Centres by the INEC to rig and manipulate the results of the March 18, 2023 Governorship and State House of Assembly Elections in the State.

“That Governor Wike has instructed all LGA Executive Chairmen, as the chief security officers of their respective Local Government Areas, to carry out what he calls “Operation No Mercy’ on every other party Agent.

“The Council Chairmen are to ensure those Agents representing their parties’ interests do not have access to the Collation Centres.

“The PDP Government of Rivers State has also assured INEC officials of their safety provided they comply with the PDP Agents to manipulate the process before taking it out to the State Collation Centre.”

The governorship candidates in prayed as follows:

“That INEC and every relevant authority should stop all Government officials from accessing the collation centres.

“That in accordance with Section 43(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 prohibiting Government officials from acting or serving as Agents to political parties at elections, INEC and relevant security authorities should restrict the movement of all Rivers State Government officials beginning with Governor Wike down to the Executive Chairmen of the Councils.

“INEC should ensure that all categories of officials prohibited by the Electoral Act stay away from the Collation Centres as their presence will compromise the process.

“That only persons who are party agents according to law and designated INEC officials should have access to the Collation Centres at the Ward, LGA and State levels only party agents be allowed access to the collation centers.

“That on no account should Governor Wike be exempt from the restrictions of access to Collation Centres in accordance with the law. Moreover, as his presence at the Obio/Akpor Council Collation Centre in the last and previous elections compromised the process and cast doubts on the credibility and ability of INEC to conduct free, fair, and credible elections in the State.

“That activities of INEC officials and Ad-Hoc Staff be closely monitored as there is connivance between some INEC officials and officials of the Rivers State Government to rig and compromise the process in favour of the PDP.

“That we want peaceful, free, fair and credible elections in the State where the will of the people will not be subverted as we saw during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

“That we, as well as Nigerians, trust that INEC will do the right thing in this election and not make themselves willing tools and enemies of the State by conniving with those with ulterior motives to compromise the process.”

The candidates while expressing their believe that credible elections are possible in Rivers State said that such can be achieved when the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) takes full charge of the process in accordance with the law.

They added: “We have no doubt that we have provided sufficient grounds in this Press Conference for the REC to act in a manner that delivers on his constitutional mandate.”

They further called on President Muhammadu Buhari to direct security agencies to intensify surveillance on INEC and the Central Bank of Nigeria to safeguard the electoral process and the forthcoming elections in Rivers State.

The candidates also urged Foreign missions and International Elections Observers to take deep interest in the elections in Rivers State to avert any danger and subversion of the will of majority of Rivers people and the electorate in Rivers State.

The statement was copied to INEC Chairman, Prof Yakubu Mahmood, Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General, DSS, Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Director, DSS, Port Harcourt.

Others are; the National Peace Committee, the National Working Committees of all political parties in Nigeria, His Excellency, The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Their Excellencies, Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Heads of Missions and the European Commission in Nigeria and All European Union, African, ECOWAS and other Foreign Elections Observer Missions to Nigeria.