The Action Congress of Nigeria ( ACN) and other opposition parties in Rivers State have criticised the conduct of Saturday’s National Assembly elections in the state, calling for the cancellation of the poll.
The results of the election released by the Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday showed the Peoples Democratic Party was victorious in all 12 federal constituencies and the three Senatorial districts where elections were held.
The ACN, however, claims the victory was earned through voter manipulation and rigging.
“In the collation centres, our agents were refused entry by the Joint Task Force and the Police. There were no results sheets in many areas of the state, such as Khana, Degema, Gokana, Tai, Oyigbo, Obio/Akpor, Opobo/Nkoro, Onelga, Andoni,” read the ACN statement, which was signed by Uche Okwukwu, the state chairman of the party.
Similarly, Otonye Briggs, the governorship candidate of the Congress for Political Change, yesterday expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the elections.
Mr Briggs said his party was denied an opportunity to fully participate in the process as there was no level playing field for political parties in the state.
He also accused loyalists of the ruling PDP of intimidating and harassing CPC members and supporters. In the course of the elections, he said, one of the party’s members was killed in Abonnema, the capital of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area.
Mr Briggs added that the killing was the manifestation of acts of repression against the party in the state. He, however, urged supporters of the party to come out en masse for subsequent elections and vote for the CPC.
Barthlomew Emuekperi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance also said his party has problems with the elections. “No doubt, the elections were bad,” he said when asked about his party’s reaction to the conduct and outcome of the polls.
Mr Emuekperi said the party will be issuing an official statement on the elections.
No petitions
Despite the complaints, none of the parties could confirm if they had written an official petition to INEC. As at press time, neither the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Aniedi Ikoiwak nor the Public Affairs Officer of the Commission could be reached for comments on the matter.
The director of the Rotimi Amaechi campaign organisation, Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, said the allegations were false and challenged the opposition to provide proof to back their claims.