The River State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) stated on Saturday that there was no election in the state, calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel and reschedule the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state. Rivers APC made this known in a petition signed by the states APC Chairman, Davies Ikanya and addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega. In the petition the APC stated the "parody of election held in Rivers State" on Saturday was characterised by "deliberate non release of result sheets to nearly all the centres, active collaboration and collusion of the INEC staff with the People’s Democratic Party in undermining the credibility of the election." It also said "Violence was orchestrated to scare away voters, adding that the officers of the Nigerian Police Force were also used to arrest some APC leaders and faithful, thereby preventing them from participating in the elections." As stated by the APC, all these happened because the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Gesila Khan, "a known associate and friend" of President Goodluck Jonathan, "connived" with the PDP. The petition further disclosed that, "The most egregious aspect of the glaring irregularities and breaches in the election is in the area of a wilful and deliberate non availability of results sheets in nearly all voting centres." Accordingly, this was "deliberately made so as to pave the way for the writing of the results thereafter," he party alleged. "While no result sheets were sent to Emohua, Ikwerre, Omuma, Etche, Akuku Toru, Ogu/Bolo, Okrika, Asari Toru, Ahoada East, Bonny, Khana, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Ahoada West,Abua/Odual, Oyigbo and some parts of Port-Harcourt, only three of 11 wards of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government had result sheet," APC stated. It stated that in spite of strenuous objection by members of the party, "several thousand persons" with fake permanent voter cards, rejected by the card readers, were allowed to vote in almost all the Local Government Areas, particularly, in Tai-eleme, Oyigbo, Ikwerre, Obio/Akpor, Okrika and Ogu/Bolo. "Following seizure of sensitive materials in Gokana and Opobo/Nkoro LGAs, the electoral officers announced there were no elections," APC added. While the petition was being drafted, APC stated it was aware that thumb-printing and collation of fake results were underway at: 1. Landmark Hotel in D/Line, Port Harcourt owned by Olaka Nwogu the PDP Senatorial Candidate for Rivers South East. 2. Jora Hotel in D/Line, Port Harcourt. 3. Senator Lee Maeba’s house in Luwa in Khana LGA of Rivers State. 4. Emma Anyanwu’s house in Ulakwo in Etche LGA of Rivers State. 5. Eugene Minimah’s house in Opobo. 6. Kelechi Nwogu’s house in Omuma 7. Police Station, Kpor in Gokana LGA in Rivers State. 8. Hope Ikiriko’s house in Ogbologbolo in Ahoada West LGA in Rivers State. 9. Krisdera Hotel, Omoku in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA in Rivers State. 10. Mike Elechi’s farmhouse in Elele, Ikwerre LGA in Rivers State. 11. Barrister Harvey Ideozu’s house in Ahoada, Ahoada East LGA in Rivers State. 12. Iboroma Kichener’s house in Akuku-Toru LGA in Rivers State. "In Gokana local government also, trained-INEC ad hoc personnel were replaced with untrained manpower suspected to be PDP members," the party stated. "It was believed to have been done in connivance with the LGA, Electoral Officer, EO. "These same actions were also replicated in several other LGAs including Khana LGA where in Wards 6, 9, 16 17 and 18, the Returning Officers, Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers are all known PDP members. "In Okrika LGA, there was a sudden change and appearance of fresh and non-trained INEC ad-hoc personnel. This also happened in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area and other LGAs. "We want to firmly state that there is nowhere in the world where this sham and debacle that happened in Rivers State can be glorified as an election and allowing this to stand is to posit to the entire World that allocation of votes and massive irregularities and malpractices will be allowed as long as the perpetrators are able to carry same out." The party therefore urged Mr. Jega to cancel Saturday's elections in Rivers State.
