RIVERS RERUN ELECTIONS: Five feared killed
Mon Mar 21, 2016 08:35:am Politics
2.4K By sosa hills
The rerun elections in Rivers State,federal and state legislative held yesterday, erupted in violence that led to the death of at least five persons and culminated in the cancellation of polls in four local government areas of the state.
One of them was an unnamed aide to Governor Nyesom Wike's Chief of Staff, Emeka Woke.
This came as results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed that the People's Democratic Party (PDP) won in 10 of the 11 local government areas where results were not cancelled.
The results declared at the state constituencies of INEC showed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) won in only Bonny Local Government Area while the PDP won in Ahoada, Akoku Toru, Omuma, Degema, Ahoada East and West, Emuoha, Obio/Akpor and in Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Areas.
The results of the Senate and House of Representatives were yet to be announced at the time of filing this report late last night.
Some of the council areas have two constituencies. At the Port Harcourt Council, the results were still coming in with supporters of the APC and PDP hanging within and outside the Council Secretariat.
In Emuoha, Hon. Chidi Lloyd of the APC, who was the immediate past leader of the House of Assembly and an ally of Transport Minister, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, lost to Hon. Sam Ogeah of the PDP.
Of the 24 local government areas where the rerun elections were held, INEC has cancelled the polls in eight of the councils.
The PDP chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah, said he expects the party to win all the elections because they worked very hard for victory, despite being the party on ground.
He said: "Everybody knows that we worked very hard as the party on ground. We don't expect to lose any of the seats."
Meanwhile, Wike has alleged that APC officials shot and killed a personal assistant to the Chief of Staff, Emeka Nwoke in a shootout in Port Harcourt on Sunday evening.
Briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt, the governor said that officials of the APC, including its chairman, Dr. Davies Ibaimu-Ikanya and the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside and his running mate Asita O. Asita, were all part of the convoy where the gunshot that killed the aide was fired.
Wike alleged that the APC officials hijacked voting materials from Isiokpo, Ikwerre Local Government Area with Woke and other PDP officials trailing them, adding that as they followed them to the UTC Junction, the APC officials shot at the PDP vehicle, killing the aide of Woke.
In his account, Peterside, in a statement, claimed that he narrowly escaped death after his vehicle was attacked by gunmen in two utility vehicles on his way from the Port Harcourt to the International Airport.
Peterside, who was in his car with Ikanya and Asita, said that they escaped the assassins' bullets by divine intervention.
The statement which was signed by Sylvester Asoya, media aide to Peterside, said: "Two Jeeps belonging to Emeka Woke, Nyesom Wike's Chief of Staff carrying two unknown gunmen trailed us to UTC Junction and opened fire on my car. Our car however did a detour to First Aba Road then old GRA with the two jeeps still trailing us. We drove to the DSS office to seek refuge and on getting to the gate the unknown gunmen opened fire again at the SSS men on guard.
"The exchange of fire between the DSS men and the assailants lasted for more than 30 minutes. In the course of exchange of fire, my police detail Corporal Emma Esi was shot at and seriously injured. This is a very ugly experience but I thank God that my colleagues and I escaped unhurt."
When the DSS men demobilised the two jeeps we found out that the man at the back of the car who was ostensibly identifying us to the assailants was Wike's Chief of Staff, Emeka Woke. He has been arrested by the DSS.
"Today (yesterday's) experience is not only terrifying but also shows the parlous state of security in Rivers State. If I can be engaged openly by gunmen for nearly an hour in the heart of Port Harcourt, only God knows the fate that will befall members of our party and those sympathetic to our predicament. What is happening in our dear state is not only horrible but also constitutes serious national security risk."
The DSS could not be reached for the confirmation of the story at the time of filing the report.
The Nigeria Police Force said so far that four persons have been confirmed dead in the Rivers State national and State legislative rerun elections.
In a joint security operatives press briefing at the State Police Headquarters, Acting Inspector-General of Police for Zone 6, Baba A. Bolanta, said against the rumours of so many deaths in Rivers, only four persons were recorded killed.
"I am startled this morning after seeing outrageous figures of deaths associated with the elections as dished out by the media. To put the records straight, four deaths were recorded with two in Buguma while Nonwo Tai and Omuanwa recorded one each."
The AIG stated that their deployment was drastically assisted in leveraging the palpable fear associated with the election, adding that 24 suspected electoral offenders were arrested by the police.
"It is pertinent to let you know that we have 24 suspects comprising 22 males and 2 females in police custody who were arrested in different parts of the state. They are at present undergoing interrogation on allegations of criminal or electoral offences or both," Bolanta stated.
The joint security operatives which comprises of the Army, Police and Navy have appealed for the continued and sustained support and cooperation of the members of the public to enable them discharge their constitutional mandate of protection of life and property.
There was however a mild drama on Saturday at the Mile One Police Station in Port Harcourt as Amaechi and Governor Wike clashed over who would take possession of the PHALGA Ward 10 collation, as the collation officer, Mrs. Ekwi Adebisa, who was declared missing later resurfaced at the station.
The collation officer was said to have completed the exercise when thugs attempted to snatched the result from her before she ran to the police station for safety.
According to reports gathered,the information got to the leaders of the two main political parties in the state, both camps trooped to the police station where the security details attached to both Governor Wike and Amaechi battled to undo themselves.
Trouble started at the police station when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Collation Officer for Phalga Ward 10 was barricaded by the security attached to Governor Wike at the Mile One Police Station.
It was gathered that Adebisa, the Ward 10 Collation Officer, was about declaring the collated results for Ward 10 in PHALGA, when the leaders of the PDP in the Area alerted Governor Wike who stormed the police station to ascertain the truth.
The leaders of the APC in PHALGA, on the other hand alerted Amaechi who came in the company of Peterside, the Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Mrs. Ibim Seminantari and other APC leaders.
Hundreds of soldiers who came with the minister asked Governor Wike to steer clear or else they would release their bullets.
Governor Wike, Senator George Sekibo, Austin Opara, all stood down until the INEC collation officer for PHALGA Ward 10 was taken away by the soldiers.
The Senior Special Assistant on Media to Governor Wike, Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu, in a statement said it was wrong for the security agents to handover the collation officer to Mr Amaechi, having being earlier abducted by the minister himself.
According to him, the electoral officer was first taken to Novotel where Amaechi and Peterside were lodged and the result doctored.
Nwakaudu said yesterday morning that the abducted electoral officer was placed on protective custody by Amaechi, Peterside and Semenitari.
According to him, PDP leaders, including Governor Wike, got wind of the fact that she had been placed on protective custody at the Mile 1 Police Station and visited the station for explanation.
"Immediately Governor Wike and some PDP leaders arrived at the station, more than 400 soldiers stormed the station alongside Amaechi and Peterside and directed that Adebisa be released to them," Nwakaudu said.
He claimed that Amaechi, Dakuku Peterside, Semenitari and the AIG left with Adebisa.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday announced the cancellation of elections in two more local government areas of the state.
The commission said the elections were cancelled because irregularities such as violence, snatching of ballot boxes and non- compliance with the electoral law.
The affected councils, according to the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Elder Aneide Ikoiwak, are Etche and Asaritoru.
Also, INEC said it has begun the auditing of personnel and materials sent into the field for the election.
One of them was an unnamed aide to Governor Nyesom Wike's Chief of Staff, Emeka Woke.
This came as results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed that the People's Democratic Party (PDP) won in 10 of the 11 local government areas where results were not cancelled.
The results declared at the state constituencies of INEC showed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) won in only Bonny Local Government Area while the PDP won in Ahoada, Akoku Toru, Omuma, Degema, Ahoada East and West, Emuoha, Obio/Akpor and in Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Areas.
The results of the Senate and House of Representatives were yet to be announced at the time of filing this report late last night.
Some of the council areas have two constituencies. At the Port Harcourt Council, the results were still coming in with supporters of the APC and PDP hanging within and outside the Council Secretariat.
In Emuoha, Hon. Chidi Lloyd of the APC, who was the immediate past leader of the House of Assembly and an ally of Transport Minister, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, lost to Hon. Sam Ogeah of the PDP.
Of the 24 local government areas where the rerun elections were held, INEC has cancelled the polls in eight of the councils.
The PDP chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah, said he expects the party to win all the elections because they worked very hard for victory, despite being the party on ground.
He said: "Everybody knows that we worked very hard as the party on ground. We don't expect to lose any of the seats."
Meanwhile, Wike has alleged that APC officials shot and killed a personal assistant to the Chief of Staff, Emeka Nwoke in a shootout in Port Harcourt on Sunday evening.
Briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt, the governor said that officials of the APC, including its chairman, Dr. Davies Ibaimu-Ikanya and the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside and his running mate Asita O. Asita, were all part of the convoy where the gunshot that killed the aide was fired.
Wike alleged that the APC officials hijacked voting materials from Isiokpo, Ikwerre Local Government Area with Woke and other PDP officials trailing them, adding that as they followed them to the UTC Junction, the APC officials shot at the PDP vehicle, killing the aide of Woke.
In his account, Peterside, in a statement, claimed that he narrowly escaped death after his vehicle was attacked by gunmen in two utility vehicles on his way from the Port Harcourt to the International Airport.
Peterside, who was in his car with Ikanya and Asita, said that they escaped the assassins' bullets by divine intervention.
The statement which was signed by Sylvester Asoya, media aide to Peterside, said: "Two Jeeps belonging to Emeka Woke, Nyesom Wike's Chief of Staff carrying two unknown gunmen trailed us to UTC Junction and opened fire on my car. Our car however did a detour to First Aba Road then old GRA with the two jeeps still trailing us. We drove to the DSS office to seek refuge and on getting to the gate the unknown gunmen opened fire again at the SSS men on guard.
"The exchange of fire between the DSS men and the assailants lasted for more than 30 minutes. In the course of exchange of fire, my police detail Corporal Emma Esi was shot at and seriously injured. This is a very ugly experience but I thank God that my colleagues and I escaped unhurt."
When the DSS men demobilised the two jeeps we found out that the man at the back of the car who was ostensibly identifying us to the assailants was Wike's Chief of Staff, Emeka Woke. He has been arrested by the DSS.
"Today (yesterday's) experience is not only terrifying but also shows the parlous state of security in Rivers State. If I can be engaged openly by gunmen for nearly an hour in the heart of Port Harcourt, only God knows the fate that will befall members of our party and those sympathetic to our predicament. What is happening in our dear state is not only horrible but also constitutes serious national security risk."
The DSS could not be reached for the confirmation of the story at the time of filing the report.
The Nigeria Police Force said so far that four persons have been confirmed dead in the Rivers State national and State legislative rerun elections.
In a joint security operatives press briefing at the State Police Headquarters, Acting Inspector-General of Police for Zone 6, Baba A. Bolanta, said against the rumours of so many deaths in Rivers, only four persons were recorded killed.
"I am startled this morning after seeing outrageous figures of deaths associated with the elections as dished out by the media. To put the records straight, four deaths were recorded with two in Buguma while Nonwo Tai and Omuanwa recorded one each."
The AIG stated that their deployment was drastically assisted in leveraging the palpable fear associated with the election, adding that 24 suspected electoral offenders were arrested by the police.
"It is pertinent to let you know that we have 24 suspects comprising 22 males and 2 females in police custody who were arrested in different parts of the state. They are at present undergoing interrogation on allegations of criminal or electoral offences or both," Bolanta stated.
The joint security operatives which comprises of the Army, Police and Navy have appealed for the continued and sustained support and cooperation of the members of the public to enable them discharge their constitutional mandate of protection of life and property.
There was however a mild drama on Saturday at the Mile One Police Station in Port Harcourt as Amaechi and Governor Wike clashed over who would take possession of the PHALGA Ward 10 collation, as the collation officer, Mrs. Ekwi Adebisa, who was declared missing later resurfaced at the station.
The collation officer was said to have completed the exercise when thugs attempted to snatched the result from her before she ran to the police station for safety.
According to reports gathered,the information got to the leaders of the two main political parties in the state, both camps trooped to the police station where the security details attached to both Governor Wike and Amaechi battled to undo themselves.
Trouble started at the police station when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Collation Officer for Phalga Ward 10 was barricaded by the security attached to Governor Wike at the Mile One Police Station.
It was gathered that Adebisa, the Ward 10 Collation Officer, was about declaring the collated results for Ward 10 in PHALGA, when the leaders of the PDP in the Area alerted Governor Wike who stormed the police station to ascertain the truth.
The leaders of the APC in PHALGA, on the other hand alerted Amaechi who came in the company of Peterside, the Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Mrs. Ibim Seminantari and other APC leaders.
Hundreds of soldiers who came with the minister asked Governor Wike to steer clear or else they would release their bullets.
Governor Wike, Senator George Sekibo, Austin Opara, all stood down until the INEC collation officer for PHALGA Ward 10 was taken away by the soldiers.
The Senior Special Assistant on Media to Governor Wike, Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu, in a statement said it was wrong for the security agents to handover the collation officer to Mr Amaechi, having being earlier abducted by the minister himself.
According to him, the electoral officer was first taken to Novotel where Amaechi and Peterside were lodged and the result doctored.
Nwakaudu said yesterday morning that the abducted electoral officer was placed on protective custody by Amaechi, Peterside and Semenitari.
According to him, PDP leaders, including Governor Wike, got wind of the fact that she had been placed on protective custody at the Mile 1 Police Station and visited the station for explanation.
"Immediately Governor Wike and some PDP leaders arrived at the station, more than 400 soldiers stormed the station alongside Amaechi and Peterside and directed that Adebisa be released to them," Nwakaudu said.
He claimed that Amaechi, Dakuku Peterside, Semenitari and the AIG left with Adebisa.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday announced the cancellation of elections in two more local government areas of the state.
The commission said the elections were cancelled because irregularities such as violence, snatching of ballot boxes and non- compliance with the electoral law.
The affected councils, according to the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Elder Aneide Ikoiwak, are Etche and Asaritoru.
Also, INEC said it has begun the auditing of personnel and materials sent into the field for the election.
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