Wike leads in Rivers governorship poll

Nyesom Wike

The results  so far collated at the  Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Rivers State office in Port Harcourt, shows that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won in 15 local government areas out of the 17 councils so far released for the governorship poll.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has so far  won in two local government areas.

The remaining results are expected from the rescheduled polls on Sunday, which took place in Abua Odua, ward 1,  Asari Toru ward 13, Bonny ward 13, Degema wards 11,12,13, Emohua ward 4, and Obio/Akpor wards 15 and 16.

Meanwhile, the governorship candidates of three political parties in Rivers State have called for the cancellation of the governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

The candidates are Dr  Dakuku Peterside of the APC; Charles Harry, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA and Rev. Minaibim Harry, Social Democratic Party, SDP.

The APGA candidate, Charles Harry, who spoke on behalf of the others, called on INEC to cancel the election because it was marred by irregularities.

Harry said thugs allegedly made away with election materials and fired gun shots to scare voters, in order to manipulate the election results.

“In Buguma, headquarter of Asari-Toru Local Government, there was no accreditation because there were no election materials in place.

‘’Elsewhere, the disenfranchisement of Rivers people was taken to a level unprecedented  in the history of electioneering in the state. There was intimidation, harassment and outright manipulation of the electoral process,” he said.

Harry said they were aware that some arrests were made by the police of those allegedly compromising the election.

Mr Dakuku Peterside of the APC, said the election was characterized by widespread violence that made it impossible for the people to come out to vote.

He urged INEC to cancel the election and fix a new date for a re-run.
In her reaction, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, Mrs Gesila Khan, said elections were successfully held in the state.

She said the commission had cancelled elections in nine wards and ordered a re-run where it was established that no election took place.

Meanwhile,  African Centre for Leadership Strategies and Development has  called for  the cancellation of the exercise.

Humphrey Bekaren, who briefed newsmen in Port Harcourt, said as observers, they were dissatisfied with the elections, stressing that it was characterized by rigging,  violence and manipulations.
According to him, no voting took place in some centres they visited in Port Harcourt.

“We request all lovers of democracy to join us in calling for outright cancellation of the phoney elections,” he said.