Soldiers from Nigerian Army on Saturday arrested the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Mr. Kenneth Kobani for his involvement in stalling the distribution of electoral materials in the rerun election in the state.
Also arrested for involvement in electoral fraud were the Chairman, caretaker committee of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Mr. Bright Amaewhule and the Special Adviser to the governor on Special Projects Cyril Sum Wite.
Kobani was arrested after he allegedly stormed a RAC centre in his area, having gathered that the original result sheets for the election had been carted away.
Folowing the violence that marred the conduct of the National and State Assembly re-run election in some LGAs, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cancelled the conduct of the election in six local government areas.
The Commission also alleged that there were open and brutal attacks on its officials by agents of political parties.
Thus, no fewer than seven persons were feared killed following heavy shooting in parts of the state during the rerun election.
Addressing newsmen at the INEC office in Port Harcourt later, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Aniedi Ikoiwak, said the affected local government areas were Bonny, Gokana, Abua/Odual, Khana, Eleme and Andoni.
Ikoiwak stated that the INEC officials were attacked by agents of political parties who alleged that INEC officials came to polling units with fake election materials.
He insisted that he was not aware of the circulation of fake election materials by INEC.
He however said a new date would be announced for conduct of election in the affected local government areas.
At Asari-Toru and Akuku-Toru local government areas, there was heavy shooting, including the use of explosives as political party chieftains in the area struggled to hijack the highest number of materials.
An officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service was shot dead in Abalama community in Asari-Toru local government area after gunmen dressed in security uniforms riding in three Hilux vans opened fire, shortly after some persons hijacked voting materials.
Some ad hoc staff of INEC in Ikwerre and Asari Toru local government areas boycotted the election over fear of violence.
In Tai and Bonny LGAs, voters boycotted the exercise over the claim that fake result sheets were in circulation, an allegation that INEC denied.
“The attention of INEC has been drawn to allegations that fake result sheets are being deployed for election in Akuku-Toru, Tai and Bonny local government areas,” the electoral body said in a statement.
“The allegations are untrue and they should be discountenanced. Voters are advised to come out and exercise their franchise peacefully.”
Accreditation of voters and voting commenced simultaneously in some polling units in Oyigbo local government due to late arrival of electoral materials.
According to NAN, election materials arrived ward 16, unit 17 in Obio/Akpor local government area 10:18am, while accreditation and voting started an hour later.
At ward 2, units 1, 10, 13 and 14 Rumudara, still in Obio/Akpor, INEC officials arrived at 10:30am and accreditation commenced immediately, even though there was low turnout of voters.
Governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, voted at Ward 9 unit 7, around Whimpy junction in Obio Akpor, while Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transport, also voted at ward 8, unit 14 in Ubima, Ikwerre LGA.
Both men voted amid tight security.
Parties trade blame over violence
As Rivers people went to the poll, the two major political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) engaged in a blame game over the widespread violence recorded during the election.
The Rivers state government in a statement, said there were reports of widespread distribution of fake result sheets to Khana, Bony, Andoni, and other local government areas.
“We have seen so far, a completely messy logistical nightmare, as voters seem unable to differentiate between fake and real INEC documents,” the state’s Commissioner for Information and Communication, Austin Tam-George, said in the statement.
The Rivers Government said the people would only accept the outcome of the election if the process is free, fair and credible.
But INEC, responding via its Twitter account, dismissed the allegations as untrue and urged the electorate to discountenance it.
The electoral commission advised voters to go out and exercise their franchise peacefully.
Why Nigeria Army monitored Rivers poll
On the involvement of the army in the election, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Yusuf Buratai said the Army was not served with a copy of the court order banning soldiers from engaging in monitoring role during elections, adding that it is only when the army authority is served with the papers that he would be in a position to comment on the issue.
General Buratai gave the hint at the Government House Owerri when he paid a courtesy call on the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha in company with other senior military officers including the GOC, 82 Division of the Nigeria Army Enugu, Major-General Attahiru.
Receiving Buratai and his team, Okorocha told them to give approval for the Army to build a military school in the state, assuring that the state government would provide the land and other logistics.
Deputy Governor, party agents, security, commend election conduct
Deputy governor of Rivers State Ipalibo Banigo has commended the peaceful conduct of the legislative re-run election in Obuama, Degema Local Government Area.
Banigo made the remark in a statement by her Press Secretary Paul Damgbor, in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
The statement said that the deputy governor voted in Ward 14, Unit 10 in Obuama at about 12.40p.m.
In it, Banigo lauded the people of Obuama for their peaceful conduct during the legislative rerun elections.
She said that the electorate conducted themselves orderly, but noted that there was an initial apprehension about the validity of the result sheets for the House of Representatives.
Banigo said that the issue was reported promptly to INEC before the commencement of voting.
She described the exercise as an opportunity to choose those to represent the people at the state and national levels.
The deputy governor monitored the conduct of the elections in the seven units of Ward 14 in Obuama.
Also, some party and security agents in Obio/Akpor LGA commended what they described as the peaceful conduct of the re-run election in the wards and units of the area.
The agents, who spoke to NAN after the exercise, said that the election was also free, fair and transparent.
Mr Henry Ohia, a PDP agent in Ward 2, Unit 11, said he was satisfied with the way the re-run election was conducted.
According to him, “I am satisfied with the conduct of the election in my area and I wish that subsequent elections will be like this in the state.”
Also speaking, the APC agent, Godwin Onukem, said that everything concerning the exercise was fine. He specifically commended the card reader, saying it was very effective.
Another PDP agent, Anele Wachukwu, who alleged the use of fake materials in Ward 16, Unit 17 caused voters to stop voting, said that his party later directed that they should allow the election to go on.
He said that he raised alarm because he allegedly did not see INEC officials’ signature on the result sheet but after much explanation from the INEC officials and the party directives, the election went on smoothly.
A voter in Ward 15, Unit 8 of the LGA, Mr Awaji Vincent, expressed confidence in the electoral process, especially in the card reader and security operatives.
He stated that the election was credible.
Mrs Justina Nwoke, the Deputy Superintendent of the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps in Ward 2, Unit 10 and 11, said she was happy with the peaceful conduct of the election.
According to her, if elections in the state will continue to be peaceful in every unit, ward and local government, the people will always be ready to go out and vote.
A police officer, Sgt. Philip Etim, urged the people of the state to continue with such a peaceful conduct of election.
Many of the voters waited after voting untill the end of the election to hear the results in their respective polling units.
Police confirm death, arrests
The Police Command in Rivers has confirmed that one person died while 12 others were arrested during Saturday’s legislative rerun elections in the state.
The Public Relations Officer of the command, Ahmad Muhammad, told NAN in Port Harcourt on Saturday that it received report about the death of one person in Eleme, Eleme local government.
Muhammad said 10 people were arrested in Eleme while two were picked up on their way to Akinima, Ahoada West Local Government Area.
“The suspects committed election-related offences. They are being interrogated while investigation has commenced on the offences committed,” he said.
He also said the police did not know what caused the death of a middle-aged man in Eleme and that the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area received the report.
He said the command did the necessary deployments to ensure credible elections in the state.
-Leadership
