The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that results of the just-concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections in Okrika local government area of Rivers State, has been hijacked by unknown persons.
This is as Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike condoled with families of some indigenes of the state who were killed as a result of the violence that trailed the elections in the state.
INEC Director of Publicity and Voter Education in Rivers State, Edwin Enabor, who spoke to newsmen in Port Harcourt yesterday, said results from Okrika local government area were no more expected at the commission as INEC was not certain of the location of the materials and officials.
Enabor said: “Technically speaking, Okrika has no results. The commission may have to hold fresh elections in that area.”
He confirmed that one of its Electoral Officers, who was allegedly held hostage in Ikwerre local government area of the state, has returned to the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt but without the results.
The INEC Director said: “She is back in her office now and writing her report on her experience. She did not come back with the result as that was taken away by the military that detained her. The commission will make appropriate response after studying her report.”
As at the time of filing this report, only results from five local government areas have gotten to the INEC office in Port Harcourt.
Meanwhile, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has condoled with the families of those who lost their lives as a result of electoral violence in Abonnema, Obonnoma and Asarama communities in the state.
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Wike, in a statewide broadcast yesterday said before the election, he had written petitions to the Chief of Army Staff and the Acting Inspector-General of Police over threats to peace and security of the state in the build-up to the general elections.
The governor said: “First of all, let me on behalf of the Government and people of Rivers State express my heartfelt condolences to the families of all those that were murdered by the army and the APC thugs before, during and after the 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections in Abbonnema, Obonnoma, Asarama and other communities in Rivers State. May their innocent souls rest in perfect peace.
“Recall that on the 14th of February 2019 I made a special broadcast in which I alerted the nation about the plans by the Minister of Transportation and the APC to cause mayhem in the State and scuttle the 2019 general elections with the active support of some operatives of the Nigerian Army and the Police.
“Before then, I had petitioned the Chief of Army Staff, the Acting Inspector General of Police and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) about the sweeping threat and looming invasion of the state with armed thugs of the APC with the covert and overt support of the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Port Harcourt, Major-General Jamil Sarham and the Commander of the Rivers State Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Mr. Victor Akin Fakorede.
“In my Press Statement on the 16th of February 2019, following the sudden postponement of the general elections by one week by INEC, I reiterated the existence and seriousness of the plot by the APC, the Police and the Army to overrun polling stations and collations across the State.
“I also drew the attention of Nigerians and the international community to the despicable acts, which the army and the Police carried out at the Premises of the Central Bank, Port Harcourt in preventing the distribution of materials to Local Government Areas as well as arresting local leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party.”
