APC And PDP Calls For Cancellation Of Polls

…in Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Imo

. Taraba election inconclusive –INEC

All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, called for the cancellation of Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections in three states, citing massive electoral fraud.

While APC called for cancellation of elections in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, PDP is demanding the same for Imo.

Speaking through its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, in Lagos yesterday, APC said although elections went smoothly in other states across the country, what took place in Rivers and Akwa Ibom was a charade.

According to the party, elections in the two states were not conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Mohammed said that as a result of the malpractices in the two states, APC was calling for the cancellation of the elections there.

“The script for the distortion of the Rivers elections was written by the Presidency and executed by the PDP, the police and militants,” Mohammed said.

He said that APC wrote a petition complaining of the partisanship of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police in the Presidential and National Assembly Elections, which prompted the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Suleiman Abba, to post three Commissioners of Police from the Force Headquarters to oversee the gubernatorial and House of Assembly Elections in the state.

APC said that as soon as the President learnt of this development, he directed the IGP to reverse the decision and instead requested that Tunde Ogunsakin, an Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, be posted to oversee the polls in the state.

He added: “As soon as electoral materials were distributed, the Divisional Police Officer for Akukutoru Local Government Area simply handed over the election materials for the local government to the militants.

Upon learning of this development, AIG Ogunsakin ordered that the materials should be recovered and handed over to the Electoral Officer for the council within the next hour.

Mohammed also said that contrary to INEC directive on the use of card readers, the machines were discarded, which explains why voter turnout in Rivers was 75 per cent compared to national average of between 25 and 35 per cent.

He also spoke in support of the Akwa Ibom State chapter of the party, which demanded for the cancellation of the polls in the state. He said that election materials were not supplied to most of the polling units in all the three senatorial districts.

He outlined that in former Governor Victor Attah’s ward in Ibesikpo Asutan, three contiguous polling units did not receive election materials, while in most of the polling units in Oruk Anam, the home local government area of Atuekong Etiebet and Chief Soni Udom, Director-General of the APC Governorship Campaign Organisation, most of the polling units did not receive election materials.

“In areas where polling materials were received, hordes of deadly armed thugs, escorted by men in Nigeria Police and Army uniforms, stormed the polling units and carted away the election materials midway into the accreditation process.

“Mohammed said that Nsit Ubium electoral officer admitted to APC candidate, Umana Okon Umana that the electoral process was marred by security failure, which allowed PDP thugs to hijack election materials and take them to private homes for thumb-printing.

APC also said that incidents of ballot boxes’ snatching and violence, leading to the death of many people marred the election.

He said eight APC members were killed in the process of the election across the state by PDP thugs. Also yesterday, PDP said INEC should cancel the inconclusive elections in Imo State and conduct a fresh poll.

The party said this has become imperative because of the massive incidence of irregularities that marred the elections in the state.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh said PDP is demanding for the immediate cancellation, while fresh poll that would reflect the will of the people should be conducted. He said the country’s 16 years of democracy must be sustained.

His words: “We demand the immediate halt to the announcement and cancellation of the elections and ordering of fresh elections in Imo.

“There was massive violence, swapping of ballot papers and snatching ballots in Ideato North, Oru and other places. There was no elections in Ideato south, figures were awarded.

“Our quest is this; haven sustained democracy in 16 years, are we going to witness erosion of the fundamentals of the principles of democracy in Nigeria under this new government? What we are seeing is ominous times.

“People of Imo have trooped out in the street demanding the correct result. If INEC cannot produce what they have voted for, then INEC should order new elections.

“We in the PDP, we are willing and able to assist in ensuring that INEC in the next one week or two weeks, once they order for fresh elections in Imo state whatever cost it is, let the citizens bear it as long as genuine and true democracy is enthroned. “We want fresh elections in Imo State. Let the will of the people be enthroned.”

The state governor, Rochas Okorocha has however expressed optimism that he will win in the governorship election in the state after the conduct of repeat poll in some wards in the state. Okorocha made the statement when he briefed newsmen at the Government House, Owerri yesterday.

The governor said that he was used to repeat elections having been elected through a supplementary election in 2011. Okorocha explained that the spread of APC victory in 23 local government areas of the state was a clear indication of the confidence the people had in his government.

In a related development, the European Union Election Observation Mission EU-EOM in Nigeria has called for further investigation into alleged malfeasance during the governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.

Chief Observer of the Mission, Santiago Fisas stated this yesterday when his team presented its second preliminary statement on the conduct of the general elections.

The Mission however commended Nigerians, political parties and candidates, INEC and all other stakeholders for the continued commitment to the electoral process.

“Overall the 11 April election process appeared to be more efficient, with polling staff working diligently and improvements evident in the more timely opening of polling sites.

Meanwhile, at least six people were said to have been killed in Sunkani, Ardo Kola Local Government Area of Taraba State, following tension that heralded the declaration of the governorship elections results in the state inconclusive.

The state government yesterday imposed a dusk to dawn curfew in Jalingo, the state capital to maintain law and order. The Returning Officer for the governorship elections, Prof. Mohammad Kyari, had yesterday declared the governorship elections inconclusive.