21st May, 2011
The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, chairmanship candidate of Asari Toru Local Government of Rivers State, Soibibo Horsfall, was in the early hours of this morning abducted by unknown persons a few hours before the local election in the 21 out of the 23 local government councils in the state.
The circumstances surrounding the abduction are still unclear. But Sulieman Abba, the state Commissioner of Police has said that from the briefs he has been fed with by detectives he dispatched to he area the case was “not exactly that of kidnap†, assuring that the AC N chairmanship candidate would soon be released.
He did not elaborate.
In a swift reaction, Prince Awoye Suku, the ACN chairman of Asari Toru Local Government wondered what the Commissioner of Police calls a situation where a man is dragged out of his car, his driver beaten mercilessly and his boss taken away forcefully to an unknown destination.
According to him,“ I personally went with the driver to report the incident at the Divisional Police Station, Buguma, where the statement of the driver was taken. We have not seen or heard from him since then.Did he disappear into thin air if we don’t call it kidnap?â€
Meanwhile, Governor Chibuike Amaechi cast his vote at Ubima, his village, in Ikwerre Local Government Area, warning that it will not be business as usual for the newly elected Local Government Chairmen who may want to sit in the comfort of their offices and embark on projects without consulting their people.
However, there was very low turn out of voters for an election that the Rivers State Independent Election, RSIEC, said voting will start by 12.30pm in the 21 out of the 23 local council areas.
In some wards in Port Harcourt city, Khana, Abua Odual, Alode-Eleme Ward 9 and others, there were problems of lack of election materials as at 2pm.
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt