INEC Suspends Election in 6 LGAs, as 6 Die in Rivers State Re-run Poll

Military arrest Wike’s aide, governor chides commission over poor preparation
Due to violence and the prevention of electoral officials from distributing election materials, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday suspended elections in six local government areas in the Rivers State re-run elections.

This came as at least six persons were killed in election violence in three local government areas.

The state governor, Nyesom Wike, also chided INEC for shoddy arrangements that led to late kick-off of voting in most centres, just as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alleged the arrest of Secretary to State Government, Kenneth Kobani, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Projects, Cyril Dum Wite by soldiers at Kpor and Bori in Gokana and Khana Local Government Areas respectively.

PDP, the ruling party in the state, alleged that soldiers in Ogoniland arrested the Secretary to the State Government, Kenneth Kobani, and also the Special Adviser to Wike on Special Projects, Cyril Dum Wite. The party also alleged that many of its members were beaten up.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Rivers PDP Chairman, Felix Obuah, Jerry Needam, alleged that soldiers at the INEC centres in Gokana and Khana local government areas beat the Commissioner for Environment, Professor Roseline Konya, to a state of coma.

“The Secretary to the State Government, Hon Kenneth Kobani, Special Adviser on Special projects to the State Governor, Hon Cyril Dum Wite and over 2000 PDP members across the state have been beaten, arrested and detained by the Nigerian Army drafted to conduct the election by Mr Rotimi Amaechi, Magnus Abe and the APC.”

Describing the action of the military against Rivers people and members of the PDP as genocide, the party said, “The Nigerian Army disobeyed two separate court orders, restraining them from participating in Rivers re-run election and in Rivers South East Senatorial District of the State.

The areas where INEC suspended elections are Eleme, Khana, Gokana, Andoni, Bonny and Tai. Apart from Bonny, the remaining areas are in Rivers South East Senatorial District where Senators Magnus Abe of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Olaka Nwogu of PDP are locked in fierce contest for the senatorial seat.

Speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday in the course of the elections, Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Aniedi Ikoiwak, said the commission was forced to suspend elections in the affected areas because interested parties prevented its officials from distributing election materials and also because of violence in the areas.

His words: “Actually, we had deployed, as we told Nigerians, from Thursday and I did mention it clearly that if by act of commission or omission, we are not allowed to occupy the Registration Area Centres (RACs), we cannot actually guarantee that we can deliver 100 per cent.

“Today, we have had the experience where most of our materials were not even allowed to move in; some were returned on the way. Even when we tried to deploy to the RACs in some of the places this morning, certain people with excuses also tried to prevent us from doing so.

On the issue of fake election result sheets, Ikoiwak said, “I don’t think there was anything like fake result sheets; I think I have said that times without number. You can imagine what you think but what we know in the commission was that only a result sheet was produced and you cannot say a thing that does not have a duplicate is fake because fake must be compared with the original. So what we had was the original; the fake may be in the imagination of those making such an allegation.”

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