• I’ve lost confidence in INEC, Police, Army –Wike
From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won two out of the three senatorial seats in Rivers State.
The declaration of the two results won by the PDP sparked widespread celebration.
The result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), at about 5:35pm, showed that Osinakachukwu Ideozu (PDP) beat his opponent, Otelemaba Amachree of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to win the Rivers West Senatorial District.
The other victory was by Senator Thompson George Sekibo, who defeated Mr. Andrew Uchendu of the APC.
Senator Magnus Abe of APC had earlier won the seat for Rivers South East Senatorial District, beating his opponent, Senator Olaka Nwogu of PDP.
Declaring the result for Rivers West Senatorial District, the Returning Officer, Prof. Raphael Echebiri, declared that PDP’s Ideozu polled 107,166 votes to defeat APC’s Amachree, who scored 46, 898 votes.
In the earlier results, yesterday, Senator Sekibo defeated his APC opponent, Uchendu, for the second time.
In the 2015 National Assembly election, Sekibo defeated Uchendu, but the result was later cancelled by the election petition tribunal and the Court of Appeal.
The results announced by INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Orji Okumukami, showed that Sekibo polled 93,098 votes; APC 34,193 votes, LP scored 230 votes and NNPP 65 votes.
Governor Nyesom Wike, yesterday, said he has lost confidence in the military, police and Department of State Service (DSS).
Addressing PDP supporters, who were on victory march on the streets of Port Harcourt, which terminated at the Government House, the governor condemned the role of security agencies during the rerun elections.
He commended the people of the state for standing up in defence of democracy and interest of the state.
“I praise you for your courage in the face of murderous invading security agencies, who killed, maimed and stole ballot boxes, in their bid to subvert the will of the people,” he said.
The governor said the ultimate sacrifice made by the people who lost their lives in the hands of the Nigerian Army and SARS personnel, defending the collective interest of the state will not be in vain.
“What has happened today will not happen in 2019. Now, they have told us, they will see that we will also be prepared. This will not happen again.
“Rivers people must work as brothers and sisters and defend our interests. We don’t have police, we don’t have army, but we have God. And so, we must put our house in order and be our own police and own Army.”
He said the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi will never win election in the state, adding that those who attempted to re-colonise Rivers State by donating monies from their state governments, have been disappointed.
Regardless, INEC has suspended rerun election in Etche Local Government Area of the state due to violence.
INEC National Commissioner in-charge of South-South, Dr. Lecky Mustapha announced the suspension of the exercise yesterday night, while briefing newsmen at the commission’s office in Port Harcourt.
Mustapha also announced that elections had been concluded in Asari-Toru and Akuku-Toru Local Government Areas, affirming results earlier announced.
Meanwhile, former governorship candidate of APC in the April 10, 2015 general election, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has alleged that a member of the state executive council was arrested by the police with pre-filled senatorial results for Emohua Local Government Area.
“We want to give you a few important development that happened today so that Rivers people and Nigerians will know what is happening in Rivers State.
“This morning by 9:00 hours, a member of the Rivers State Executive Council, who is not an INEC official was caught with original pre-filled senatorial results for Emohua council. Police have since arrested him.
“This goes to confirm our earlier assertion that PDP conspired with others to print fake result sheets. This has gone to vindicate what we said earlier that the frame-up of Atonyesia Peterside was done by the PDP to deliberately deceive the unsuspecting public.
In a swift reaction, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), denied knowledge of the arrest.
Meanwhile, Sekibo has dedicated his victory to Wike and Rivers people, pointing out that, if not for the resilience of the governor, the APC would have rigged the election.
He assured people of Rivers East Senatorial District that he would champion their interests at the National Assembly.
Earlier, there was sporadic shooting by security operatives, who accompanied Governor Wike to the headquarters of Port Harcourt city council.
Daily Sun gathered that supporters and some candidates of the PDP in the election, including Sekibo, had taken over the Port Harcourt city council till the result was announced.
Members of PDP said they were there based on information that the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi was on his way to the council to hijack and doctor the result
Another PDP supporter said Wike had led hundreds of PDP members, including his Chief of Staff, Mr. Emeka Woke, the Attorney General of the State, Emma Aguma, Uche Secondus, Chief Sergeant Awuse to barricade the area.
Speaking at the Government House, Port Harcourt, after the result was declared, Wike stated: “I thank God for the strength and courage he has given us in this election. We have really sacrificed. I know that freedom comes with sacrifice.
“Rivers people were murdered for just a simple legislative election. The Federal Government came with their might to conquer Rivers State, just because they want to win. They killed people because they want the state.
“The blood of those people they killed will be on their heads. States that cannot pay their workers salary and cannot carry out meaningful project in their states brought money to rig election in this state.
“They should be ashamed because they won one; but, we won two of the senatorial seats. They fought, but God said, no way! Do not be intimidated. This will never happen in 2019. They have shown us that there is no democracy in Nigeria, if not, why not they conduct election they way it is been done in other countries.”