Violence escalated in Rivers State during the supplementary legislative elections as members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) clashed in many polling centres over allegations and counter-allegations of rigging. BISI OLANIYI writes on the political situation in the volatile Niger Delta state.
The rerun polls ended in fiasco in many polling centres. The mistakes of the last general elections were repeated. According to observers, the exercise was a sham. It failed the test of integrity and credibility.
The polls were expected to hold in 22 of the 32 state constituencies, 12 of 13 federal constituencies and three senatorial districts. But, Rivers State was engulfed in crisis and violence. Consequently, the exercise was postponed in six local governments.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are the main contenders. But, 26 smaller parties also participated in the elections. The fresh polls were ordered by the election petitions tribunals and the Court of Appeal. The courts sat in Abuja because of the insecurity in the state.
The state constituencies where the elections did not hold are Abua/Odual, Ahoada West, Etche One, Khana One, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Ogu/Bolo, Okrika, Oyigbo, Port Harcourt One and Three. Ahoada West/Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni federal constituency is also not affected by the rerun.
No fewer than 2,148,289 voters were expected to vote while 6,806 card readers were deployed, despite the controversy surrounding the recent Supreme Court judgments.
The polls were keenly contested by the candidates of the APC and the PDP, considering the fact that last year’s polls were described by local and international observers as a sham. No fewer than 100 members of the APC were killed during the exercise.
At the weekend, seven persons lost their lives across the 23 local governments during the polls. Vehicles and buildings were set ablaze. The police arrested 12 people in connection with the violence.
The Secretary Government, Kenneth Kobani, an indigene of Bodo-Ogoni, Gokana Local Governent, was arrested by soldiers for stalling the distribution of election materials. Also, Governor Nyesom Wike’s Special Adviser on Special Projects, Cyril Dum Wite, was also nabbed. Wite was found with N40 million, arms, police and army uniforms. But, he denied sponsoring violence.
Deaths of voters were recorded in in Abalama, Asari-Toru LGA; Eleme, the headquarters of Eleme LGA, Nonwa in Tai LGA, Rumuokwuta in Obio/Akpor LGA and Ogboloko in Abua/Odual LGA.
However, the Rivers State Police Spokesman, Muhammad Ahmad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said that only one person was killed in the violence that took place at Eleme.
Security operatives arrested eight thugs in Khana LGA of the state for various electoral offences and also for parading themselves as policemen. The Nigerian Army also paraded some arrested fake soldiers.
Ahmad said 10 people were arrested in Eleme while two persons were apprehended on their way to Akinima, the headquarters of Ahoada West LGA.
Due to the violence, there was voter apathy. Ballot boxes were snatched by thugs, in spite of the presence of soldiers, riot policemen, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security personnel.
On his assumption of office, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Aniedi Ikoiwak, met with leaders of the 28 political parties. The Akwa Ibom State-born electoral chief assured them of free, fair and credible polls. He urged the political class to discourage thuggery.
Analysts have described the last Saturday election as war. Midway into the polls, Ikoiwak announced the cancellation of the elections in Khana, Gokana, Andoni and Bonny. Later, the elections was cancelled in Tai and Eleme LGAs due to irregularities and violence. On Sunday, INEC also cancelled the exercise in Etche and Asari-Toru LGAs. Thus, the poll was canceled in eight councils. The REC said a new date would be fixed after the audit of the commission’s personnel and materials, and meeting with the stakeholders.
In Emohua, Degema, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni 1, Obio/Akpor 1 and 2, Ahoada East 1 and 2, Omuma and Akuku-Toru constituencies, the PDP won the poll.
While suspending the exercise in Etche and Asari-Toru LGAs, Ikoiwak said: “Further to our earlier pronouncement of the suspension of the rerun elections in the six LGAs of Khana, Bonny, Gokana, Andoni, Tai and Eleme, following disturbances and violence that impeded the electoral process in those parts of the state, it has also become necessary to suspend the elections in Etche and Asari-Toru LGAs, for the same reasons.
“This suspension of the rerun elections by INEC is necessitated by the need to forestall breakdown of law and order or loss of lives and property, in the event of further aggravation of crisis.
“INEC needs to put all stakeholders on notice that we are still studying the situation in the other 15 LGAs, where collation of results is currently going on.”
Ikoiwak noted that INEC decided to cancel the elections in some LGAs, in view of attack on the commission’s officials by party agents, who alleged that fake result sheets were distributed, which was denied by the Rivers REC of INEC.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, voted at Unit 14, Ward 8,Ubima, Ikwerre LGA. Former APC governorship candidate Dr. Dakuku Peterside voted in Unit 06, Ward 03, Opobo, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro LGA. The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) complained about the hijack of election materials by thugs in Akuku-Toru and Degema LGAs. He attributed the low turnout to violence.
However, Wike accused the INEC of shoddy preparation. He complained about shortage of result sheets, which he said could lead to violence, if the electorate suspected a foul play.
Wike, who spoke with reporters after voting at Ward 9, Unit 7 in Obio/Akpor LGA, said: “It is obvious that INEC is not prepared for the rerun elections. INEC refused to tell members of the public its challenges.”
The Rivers alluded to the snatching of election materials in Ubima (Amaechi’s hometown) and Omagwa. But, he lauded the security agencies for maintaining law and order.
The Chairman of the APC, Chief Davies Ikanya, said Wike and the PDP had brought embarrassment. He said the governor was desperate to secure victory for his party. He described as frivolous and ridiculous the allegation by the PDP Chairman, Chief Felix Obuah, that APC leaders masterminded the arrest of the SSG and the Environment Commissioner, Prof. Roseline Konya.
Ikanya queried: “Why should we mastermind the arrest of Kobani? What is his political relevance? Does his position as SSG place him above the law? Are we the ones that asked him to be lawless, that warranted his arrest?
“We are orderly and decent. We want the best for Rivers State. Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation, was directed by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), in charge of Operations, Sotonye Wakama, to vote and leave for his residence and he complied. Who is Kobani to be moving around, intimidating voters in polling units that he does not belong?
“Soon, they will accuse APC of planting the N40 million, arms, police and army uniforms in the car of Wike’s Special Adviser on Special Projects, Cyril Dum Wite, that led to his arrest (yesterday). Imagine the embarrassment and national shame that Wike and PDP have brought to Rivers State.”
Obuah alleged that soldiers beat up Kobani. He said Konya was also beaten to coma in Ogoni while over 2,000 PDP members were arrested.
The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations of the 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Capt. Eli Lazarus, expressed shock over the PDP’s allegations. He described the soldiers as professionals, who always adhere to the ethics of the military.
