The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Rivers rerun election

  • Rerun election: Rivers denies ‘bribing’ INEC officials

    Rivers State government on Tuesday denied that Governor Nyesom Wike allegedly spent N111million to bribe Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff during the December 10, 2016 rerun legislative election in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a panel constituted to investigate the electoral and other offences perpetrated during the rerun election alleged that it recovered N111 million from 23 INEC officials.

    The Chairman of the panel, Mr. Damian Okoro, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, made the allegation while presenting the team’s report to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, in Abuja on Tuesday.

    He alleged that three senior electoral officers collected N20 million each out of the N360 million given to them by Wike, while the remaining officers received N15 million each.

    The Special Assistant to the Rivers Governor on Electronic Media, Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu, said the allegation was false and politically motivated.

    Nwakaudu said in a statement in Port Harcourt that the police allegation was aimed at diverting attention from the real issues about the election.

    “The statement is patently false, politically motivated and cooked by the police to justify the violence they visited in the people of Rivers State during the rerun,” he said.

    According to him, Governor Wike did not spend N360 million to rig the election.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, did not spend N360 million to rig the rerun legislative elections of December 10, 2016.

    “The people of Rivers State overwhelmingly voted the PDP across the state because of the outstanding performance of Governor Wike since May 29, 2015, Nwakaudu said.

  • Rivers: 70 incidents of deliberate obstructions recorded – INEC

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said he is too big to be intimidated or influenced by anybody.

    He assured that the commission will prosecute all those involved in the crisis that rocked the December 10 legislative rerun elections in Rivers.

    Speaking at a World Press Conference on Friday, Yakubu also said the commission was thinking of introducing online registration for voters.

    He said 70 incidents of deliberate process to disrupt the rerun election were recorded.

    He said, “Once again, the overwhelming blight on the December 10, 2016 elections is the level of violence and thuggery and there were no less than 70 incidents of deliberate obstruction of the electoral process were recorded. Election duty personnel were harassed, abducted and physically assaulted. On election eve, thugs disrupted the delivery of election materials to the Registration Area Centres (RACs), a situation that prevented early deployment to the polling units on election day. Indeed, in many instances, we had to deploy directly from the local government areas to the Polling Units (PUs) contrary to our plans. “

    He vowed that all those involved in election conflicts will not go unpunished in order to serve as a deterrent to others.

    He also assured Nigerians that neither he nor the commission has ever received instructions or come under any form of intimidation from any group or individual.

    The INEC chief implored the Federal Government to consider the Justice Mohammed Uwais and Lemu Reform report for improvement of electoral process.

     

  • INEC postpones Rivers rerun election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed the scheduled rerun elections in Rivers State over security concern.

    INEC has therefore fixed July 30 for the rerun elections in some parts of the state.

    In a statement signed by its Secretary, Mrs. Augusta Ogakwu, INEC maintained that it was ready to conclude the rerun election within the shortest possible time but the enabling environment must be provided by the political actors.

    The commission cited last Saturday’s attack on its office in Khana local government area of the state as a sign of prevailing danger.

     

  • Rivers rerun election: Wike sets panel of inquiry

    Rivers rerun election: Wike sets panel of inquiry

     

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the violence and killings that occurred during the March 19, rerun legislative elections in the state.

    In a state broadcast on Wednesday, Governor Wike said: “in order to forestall a repeat of the needless violence and fatalities in future elections, I hereby establish a Judicial Commission of Enquiry to investigate the violence, killings and other related acts that occurred in parts of the State during the March 19 2016 re-run elections and make appropriate recommendations to Government for implementation.”

    The governor noted:  “The members of the Judicial Commission of Enquiry are as follows: Hon. Justice Monima Wenike Danagogo  – Chairman; Venerable John Adubasim – Member, Mrs. Douye Green – Member; Barr. Joseph Zabbey – Member, Engr. Luke Nwanodi – Member,Mrs. Uche Uriri – Secretary.”

    The Judicial Commission of Inquiry will be sworn-in  by the Governor on Thursday, March 24, 2016 by 10am at the Government House, Port Harcourt by the  Governor.

    The  governor  said  that  as a responsible  government the administration  will continue  to  be  alive  to  its responsibility to protect  lives and property in Rivers State.

    He said: “I wish to assure Mr. President of our continuous commitment to do everything within our powers and resources to support the security agencies to fight crime and criminality and ensure that Rivers State is secure, safe and peaceful for people to live, enjoy and go about their legitimate social and economic activities.

    “Furthermore, I wish to on behalf of the State Government express my deepest sympathies to the family of the late National Youth Service Corp member, Mr. Dumiebi Samuel Okonta who unfortunately lost his life while faithfully serving the nation on election duty during the March 19, 2016 re-run elections in the State.”

    Speaking  further,  Governor Wike noted:”I wish to re-emphasize that I fully share Mr. President’s position that we must as a people and as a nation exterminate the scourge of recurring flawed elections and join the rest of the civilized world in conducting relatively flawless and credible elections at all times.

    “I therefore call on the INEC and all other agencies in the management of the electoral process, including the political parties and the candidates, to play by the established rules and ensure that the re-run elections to be conducted in the remaining eight Local Government Areas are devoid of malpractices and violence of any kind.

    “Once again, I call on all eligible voters from the affected Local Government Areas to come out and freely exercise their franchise whenever the re-run elections are fixed.”

    He described as fifth columnists all those persons, including highly placed politicians, INEC staff and security agencies who deliberately worked to sabotage the re-run elections in the state.  He said such persons are enemies of progress who were out and determined to undermine the electoral process and perpetuate the old discredited ways of electioneering process.

    The governor said: “I wish to, with profound humility and appreciation thank you all for your peaceful conduct and effective participation in electing your representatives during the re-run legislative elections of March 19 2016 despite the provocations from some overzealous security personnel and their political collaborators.

    “I wish to also express my profound gratitude and loyalty to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Mohammadu Buhari for his uncompromising commitment towards entrenching a permanent culture of free, fair and credible elections in the country.”