Tony John, Port Harcourt
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) wards’ agents from Emohua, Etche and Omuma local government areas of Rivers State, have told the state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Port Harcourt, that the March 9, poll was free and fair.
The wards collation agents for PDP and the governorship candidate in their separate testimonies re-affirmed the credibility and transparency of the 2019 governorship election in their respective local government areas.
Worgu Blessing from Omuma council told the three-man tribunal that election was held in the 10 units in Ward 9 under his jurisdiction. He added that there were unit agents and results were collated peaceful.
Blessing, who was cross-examined by the counsel for Action Democratic Party (ADP) governorship candidate, Dolapo Tella-Attoni, said result was announced at the collation centre and he witnessed the processes.
He dismissed the allegation of malpractice, insisting that the exercise was conducted under peaceful and orderly atmosphere, with the supervision of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Omuma Ward 9 collation agent said INEC officials conducted the election peacefully, from the beginning to end of the exercise.
“I did not witness any malpractice or violence during the election. Nobody reported any case of violence or malpractice to me. The governorship election in my ward was very peaceful. I went round and monitored the election in my ward.
“INEC officials duly entered the result in EC8B duly signed and stamped. I did not witness any PDP agents or thugs hijacking voting materials or box during the election.”
Similarly, the party’s Ward 3 collation agent in Emohua, Chioma Ogugbele, told the Justice Orjiakor-led tribunal that INEC followed its stipulated guidelines in conducting the governorship election in the area where he served.
He maintained that the process was devoid of any form of malpractice and violence because it was conducted under a serene environment.
“To the best of my knowledge, INEC followed the 2019 guidelines in conducting election in my ward,” he claimed.
Also, PDP witness, Nwaobilor Morgan, who was in charge of Ward 3, in Etche council, declared that results were duly collated and announced by INEC officials.