Amaechi declares curfew in Rivers

After days of unrest across Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi, governor of the state, has declared dusk-to-dawn curfew to prevent the breakdown of law and order as a result of the tensed political atmosphere.

 George Feyii, secretary to the state government, announced the imposition of the curfew on Monday, saying it would be effective from 7pm to 6am and would subsist until further notice.

‘’Residents are by this announcement advised to observe the declaration of curfew from the hours of 7.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m. except for workers on essential duties,’’ he said.

Rivers, which has recorded the highest rate of violence in the build-up to the general election, witnessed series of violent incidents during the parliamentary and presidential elections.

Supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had boycotted the election, alleging that the INEC officials could not produce original result sheets in several polling units across the state.

Amaechi had also accused Gesilia Khan, the resident electoral commissioner (REC) of the state, of conniving with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rig the election in favour of President Goodluck Jonathan, who hails from Bayelsa state like her.

On Sunday, Dakuku Peterside, the APC gubernatorial candidate in the state, led thousands of the party members to the headquarters of INEC in the state, calling for a cancellation of Saturday’s exercise.

Similarly, female members of APC also stormed INEC office on Monday, expressing dissatisfaction with the election.

But INEC ruled out the allegation that results sheets were missing, saying agents of the party all signed for electoral documents, including result sheets.

“The presidential, senatorial and house of representatives elections held In the 23 local government areas in Rivers state on March 28, 2015,” the REC said.

“At the stage the governor of Rivers state Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi complained of not sighting the election result sheet, voting has not commenced, that was merely accreditation stage which has noting to do with result sheets. Please note that the governor of Rivers state went to the poll as a voter and not as a governor.

“INEC wishes to inform the general public that the law does not permit everyone to be shown the result sheet, hence all political parties are expected to have their party agents at the distribution centres to ensure that the martial both sensitive and non-sensitive are all complete before election officials proceed to the field.”

INEC subsequently declared PDP as the winner of the election, saying the party polled 1,487 075 ahead of the APC, which had 60, 238 in the presidential election, and went on to win the election in all the constituencies of the lower and upper chambers of the national assembly.