Details LaterINEC has canceled the election in Ward 9, Unit 3, Ogu/Bolo LGA after hoodlums made away with the result sheets #RiversRerun— APC Nigeria (@APCNigeria) December 10, 2016
Showing posts with label Rivers Rerun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rivers Rerun. Show all posts
The All Progressives Congress, APC candidate for the rerun election in Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Senator Magnus Abe, has questioned the investigative hearing by the House of Representatives on incidence of violence before the botched rerun elections in March this year.
Senator Abe is also accusing the leadership of the lower chamber of the National Assembly of working to advance the interest of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the rescheduled rerun elections on December 10.
In a letter addressed to the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, Senator Abe, alleged that the PDP was using the leadership of the House to unduly interfere in federal agencies in a bid to use them to influence public opinion ahead of the forthcoming polls.
He acknowledged receiving a letter of invitation from the House Committee on Army to attend a public hearing of a petition by the South-South Zone of the Civil Liberties Organization against the Nigerian Army.
The former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream said it was not surprising that the petition against the Army was signed by Livingstone Wechie.
He described the author of the petition as the arrowhead of the campaign of calumny against the APC in Rivers State by Governor Nyesom Wike.
Senator Abe informed the Speaker of the House that Wechie was the Vice Chairman of the Rivers PDP 2015 campaign publicity team.
Magnus Abe also recalled that the same Livingston Wechie was the pilot of what he described as infamous Integrity Group that sponsored a petition against former governor and Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi in a failed bid to stop his ministerial confirmation by the Senate.
The letter reads: “I am in receipt of a letter of invitation from the House of Representatives Committee on the Army dated the 20th day of October, 2016, inviting me to attend a public hearing of a petition by the Civil Liberties Organization South-South zone against the Nigerian Army. Not surprisingly Mr. Speaker, the petition is signed by Mr. Livingstone Wechie, the arrowhead of Governor Wike’s campaign of calumny against the APC in Rivers State.
“He is the Vice Chairman of the Rivers PDP campaign publicity team. He was the pilot of the infamous Integrity Group that sponsored the petition against Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in the Senate and he is also the plaintiff in the suit to stop the swearing-in of Hon. Victoria Nyeche, APC member-elect of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“Mr. Speaker sir, I have read through the said petition and it is clear that the petition sponsored through your office is nothing but an ill-disgusised attempt by the Peoples Democratic Party to manipulate federal agencies and influence public opinion in order to secure undue advantage for the PDP in the coming rerun elections. There has been a clear and consistent pattern of the Peoples Democratic Party which ordinarily should have been the minority party using the National Assembly to tilt the political scales in Rivers State in their favour at decisive moments.
“Out of respect for your revered office and the integrity of the National Assembly, an institution to which I proudly belong, I had opted to hold my peace, but in the face of glaring injustice and continuing manipulation of the powers of the National Assembly in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State, it has become imperative that I bring this to your attention and to the attention of the national chairman of the APC.
“Mr Speaker, it is sad to note that every intervention of the National Assembly in Rivers State usually begins with a boast by the Peoples Democratic Party led by Governor Nyesom Wike announcing the involvement of the National Assembly. Thus far, actions of the House of Representatives are tailored towards achieving a clear political advantage for the Peoples Democratic Party.
“It is no secret that there are two armies operating in Rivers State today; the PDP army commanded by Governor Nyesom Wike and the Nigerian Army. Actions of the PDP Government in Rivers State are designed to restrict the operation of the Nigerian Army so that the PDP army can operate freely, particularly as it affects the elections.
“This latest hearing instituted by your office is just another desperate attempt to embarrass the Nigerian Army in furtherance of the PDP agenda. If that were not the case, what is the point of inviting me and Hon. Barinaadaa Mpigi, the APC candidates in the rerun elections. Are we soldiers? The Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State has already instituted a narrative to link the APC to the activities of soldiers and you have now been recruited to provide the visual images for the PDP campaign in Rivers State.
“These hearings are a clear abuse of the constitutional powers of the House of Representatives and a violation of your oath of office wherein you swore to do right to all Nigerians. The speaker of the House of Representatives cannot be a speaker for only PDP in Rivers state and this is made even more painful when we remember that you were elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), the Party you are now using the enormous powers of your office to persecute.
“It is disheartening that petitions of APC members to the office of the speaker have received no attention from your office but every action of the House of Representatives as announced by Governor Nyesom Wike is implemented to the letter. For the first time in the history of our country, members of the house of assembly elected on the platform of a political party are denied the right to participate in the affairs of the Rivers State House of assembly. Their constituencies are denied representation simply because they voted for APC. This has elicited no response whatsoever from your office.
“Painfully, hundreds of innocent Nigerians are being murdered every day by the PDP army in a sponsored orgy of violence against the APC members and supporters in Rivers State with no comment by the House or the speaker. Yet committees of the House of Representatives at your instance are always in Rivers State to do the bidding of Governor Wike and the PDP.
“It is instructive to note that these hearings always come up whenever the Rivers rerun elections are slated, and this particular invitation I have received is no different.
“In the circumstances therefore, I am unable to honour this invitation and I urge you to refrain from taking any further action designed to influence the outcome of the forth-coming elections in Rivers State in favour of any political party. I pray that God in his mercy will give you wisdom to face the real challenges of our country.”
Uncertainty beclouding Saturday senatorial rerun in Rivers State as the National Youths Service Corp members are avoiding to participate in the legislative election.
Corps members contacted to serve as ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC are refusing to participate in the election because of fear of possible violence during the election, Punch Newspaper investigation revealed
According to our source, the corps members were not showing the usual enthusiasm to participate in the election because of the accusations and counter-accusation between the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike , and INEC.
The source said, “Corps members being contacted by INEC to participate in the Rivers rerun election are showing reluctance to serve in the election.
“A good number of them are afraid that there could be violence during the election, and these are young men and women who don’t want to get killed because of some election.”
When our correspondent contacted the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, he said that it was only the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers that could comment on that.
Reacting, the state REC, Mr. Aniedi Ikoiwak, said the job of corps members was voluntary, adding that those who did not want to work with INEC on election day were free to opt out.
Ikoiwak argued that some of the corps members’ parents might have told them not to take part in the rerun election, adding that such a situation would not affect the exercise on Saturday.
The state REC, however, pointed out that INEC would get more ad hoc workers from other government’s agencies if there was shortage in the number of corps members needed for the job on Saturday.
“From the beginning, the NYSC work is on a voluntary basis. We know that some of them might have been told by their parents not to be part of it (election).
“But if we have problem of shortage of manpower, we will complete them with workers from other government’s agencies and institutions,” he stressed.
Oyekanmi also agreed that most parents would be inclined to discourage their children from participating in the election because of what he described as the inflammatory comments by the Rivers State Government that plans had been perfected to rig the election.
Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission has suspended all the election in all constituencies in the state.
In a statement late on Sunday, the commission said it ordered the suspension, pending the receipt of a comprehensive report from its field officials and monitors.
INEC had already cancelled election in eight local councils in the state because of violence.
Clarifying it’s latest order, INEC said “the suspension does not affect constituencies where the exercise has been completed and the results declared by the returning officers”.
No result so far has been declared officially in the rerun poll for state and national Assembly seats. But INEC said results are ready in one Federal Constituency and 11 state assembly seats.
Elaborating on the suspension, INEC’s Director in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, said: “Rather unfortunately, some of these elections witnessed the disruption of the process, including the barricading of some of the INEC Local Government offices and Registration Area Centres (RACs) used for the distribution of Electoral materials which led to the late commencement of the exercise in some places and consequently, its smooth take off.
“Of more serious concern was the level of threats, violence and intimidation of election officials and voters by well-armed thugs and miscreants allegedly acting on behalf of some politicians, which marred the elections in some areas.
“There were reports of numerous attacks resulting in fatalities, kidnappings, ballot snatching, diversion of officials and materials, amongst others, which necessitated its suspension in eight Local Government Areas.
“Regrettably, such deviant behaviour has continued today. Several permanent and ad hoc staff engaged have been attacked, again resulting in fatalities, while some have been forcibly abducted and taken to presently unknown destinations”.
Mr Osaze-Uzzi, stressed that under such difficult circumstance, the Returning Officers were only able to collate and declare results in one Federal and nine State constituencies where the disruption and malpractices were not so widespread.
“Having reviewed the situation, the Commission is compelled to suspend all further action concerning the exercise in all the other constituencies in the State pending the receipt of a comprehensive report from its Field Officials and Monitors.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it should be noted that the suspension does not affect the constituencies where the exercise has been completed and the results declared by the Returning Officers”.
INEC had earlier suspended election in eight local government areas of the state.
Addressing reporters earlier on Sunday the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, said that the cancelation was due to irregularities at the affected local government areas.
Election held in Etche and Asari-Toru Local Government Areas were the latest to be cancelled.
In a press statement, the INEC said: “Further to our earlier pronouncement on the suspension of the re-run in the six Local Government Areas of Khana, Bonny, Gokana, Andoni, Tai and Eleme, following disturbances and violence that impeded the electoral process in those parts of the state, it has become necessary to suspend elections in Etche and Asari-Toru LGAs for the same reasons.
“Please note that the suspension of the re-run elections by INEC is necessitated by the need to forestall breakdown of law and order in the event of further aggravation of crisis.
“INEC needs to put all stakeholders on notice that we are still studying the situation in the other fifteen LGAs, where collations are currently going on”.
The National and State legislative re-run elections in Rivers State spiraled out of security control at several hot spots yesterday, leaving at least seven people dead.
The deaths occurred at Abalama in Asari Toru Local Government Area,Eleme in Eleme LGA,Nonwa in Tai LGA and Ogboloko in Abua/Odual LGA.
The police said their records showed that only one person died at Eleme.
They confirmed 12 arrests as Governor Nyesom Wike leading the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi leading the All Progressives Congress (APC) were locked in a fierce battle for the political soul of the oil producing state.
As the tension boiled over, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) suspended elections in Bonny, Andoni, Gokana, and Khana, Tai and Eleme local government areas.
The identities of the victims could not be immediately verified although sources said that a man killed in Abalama was an immigration officer serving in the state.
He was allegedly killed by unknown gunmen.
Four people were killed at Eleme and one each in Tai and Ogboloko.
Security operatives arrested eight persons in Khana LGA of the state for alleged electoral violence and for parading themselves as policemen.
One of the suspects was alleged to be an aide to a top functionary in the state hierarchy.
But the elections went on peacefully in other parts of the state.
Some voters opted to stay at home to avoid security screening by soldiers and policemen deployed to keep the peace during the elections.
The Public Relations Officer of the State Polce Command, DSP Ahmad Muhammad, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt that it received report about the death of one person in Eleme.
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 necessary deployments to ensure credible elections in the state.
INEC’s Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Nick Dazang, who confirmed the suspension of voting in six councils of the state said there was also high voters’ apathy in the areas because of the allegations of fake result sheets.
The PDP had alleged circulation of fake result sheets in Bonny, Andoni and Khana.
INEC dismissed the report as a lie.
Thugs allegedly snatched election materials around 2.30pm at three units in WIiyaakara Ward, Khana Local Government Area.
A 14-seater bus was burnt down in Alode, Eleme Local Government Area, and there were also reports of a shoot-out in Rumuekini, Obio Akpor Local Government Area.
The Army in the state paraded some fake soldiers arrested at Khana.
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