11th April, 2015
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Governor Chibuike Amaechi and Rivers State, southern Nigeria, has described the Governorship and House Assembly elections as a sham because with the report reaching him, inadequate security allowed brazen irregularities to be perpetrated.
He said that last night President Goodluck Jonathan ordered AIG Zone 6, Tunde Ogunshakin, out of Rivers State because he arrested some thugs with INEC’s voting materials.
Governor Amaechi and his wife were accredited and later voted in Unit 14, Ward 32 in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government.
He three persons and a policeman and three persons have been shot dead, with many buildings including that of Mrs Joeab West, the Commissioner for Women Affairs reportedly bombed in Buguma, headquarters of Asari Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.
At Olanda State Primary School, opposite School of Arts and Science, in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, which is one of distribution and coalition centres, materials were destroyed after a fake policeman was caught trying to cart away INEC materials.
At Omanwa in ward 7, in Ikwerre LGA, Chimenem Wogu was shot while trying to protect INEC materials from being snatched.
Governor Chibuike Amaechi was on his way to Ubima in Ikwerre local Government Area to get accredited and vote when he ran into the victim of the gunshot.
He directed one of his aides to himu to hospital for immediate attention.
At the time of filing the report, Ahmad Muhammad, Rivers State Police Commissioner confirmed the shootings and burning of houses in Buguma but could not say the number of casualties.
When asked if he was aware that someone was killed in Buguma and beheaded, he said he was not aware but could confirm that a policeman was killed last night along Rex Lawson street in old Port Harcourt Township.
He said at least 17,000 policemen were deployed to the state to supervise the election and two are supposed to man each polling unit to ensure security.
P.M.NEWS can report that there were clashes between APC and PDP supporters in Ozuoba, Obio-Akpor when agents a particular political party insisted that they must see result sheets and some other sensitive materials.
Meanwhile, Nyesom Wike, the PDP governorship candidate dismissed the assessment of Governor Amaechi of the election because no election all over the world is ever perfect, even though he agreed that what is required is a substantial compliance with the electoral law.
He said allegations by the Governor should be dismissed because in Nigeria if a politician is poised to lose an election he starts early to criticize the conduct of election.
He said in his ward the exercise went smoothly.
On his part Dakuku Peterside, the governorship candidate of APC said in Opobo, the exercise went well but information reaching him across the state showed that the exercise was marred by violence.
He alleged that at Ogba/Egbema/Andoni Local Government Area, an APC youth leader whose name was given as Felix Orukowu was murdered in Idu Community along with six others murdered by party thugs.
Four journalists narrowly escaped death in the hands of party thugs who had snatched election materials at Abua/Odua Local Government Area of the state.
The lucky journalists were Mike Mboye, zonal manger of NAN, Olalekan Ige, Editor of Independent Monitor and Gbenga James of Silverbird Radio/Television in Port Harcourt.
Ige who narrated the incident said they ran into hoodlums who snatched ballot materials when one of them who erroneously thought they may be agents of the opposition party drew out a double-barrel gun and cocked it to fire at them until some suggested that he should ask about the identities of the journalists.
That was the saving grace. But they were ordered to flee from the area. In that process, they lost their valuables like IPad etc.
Channels TV cameraman was beaten at Rumuomasi in Obio Akpor LGA, as well as Ofonime Okon of Silverbird TV and Radio who was terribly beaten by thugs in Ogoniland.
The thugs damaged the vehicle he hired to monitor the election. He also managed to escape with his body bruised.
Ofonime said over 50 thugs bounced for daring to give live report on the election to his studio.