Amaechi, Obanikoro in Twitter spat over election

Musiliu Obanikoro, the minister of state for foreign affairs, was the target of some harsh words on Twitter from Rotimi Amaechi, the governor of Rivers state.

The dispute was sparked after the minister posted a Twitter statement in reference to the reaction of Amaechi and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the conduct and outcome of the governorship election in Rivers state.

I congratulated Ambode based on the larger interest of Lagos State. Amaechi and his co-travelers in Rivers State should learn from this. #MO

— Musiliu Obanikoro (@MObanikoro) April 13, 2015

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@MObanikoro Bcos of the larger interest of Rivers state I & most Rivers people will not accept that daylight robbery they called elections.1

— Chibuike.R. Amaechi (@ChibuikeAmaechi) April 14, 2015

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@MObanikoro The election was a sham, a disgrace, an affront on democracy. Pls read the reports of EU & other INEC accredited election…2

— Chibuike.R. Amaechi (@ChibuikeAmaechi) April 14, 2015

@MObanikoro.. observers b4 you open your mouth to spew rubbish. If your values are so debased & rotten that you saw nothing wrong with the.3

— Chibuike.R. Amaechi (@ChibuikeAmaechi) April 14, 2015

@MObanikoro..elections in Rivers State, mine is not. Never will. #ElectionsTribunalCancelRiversElections. 4

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— Chibuike.R. Amaechi (@ChibuikeAmaechi) April 14, 2015

Nyesom Wike, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was declared winner of the April 11 election amidst protests and allegations of widespread violence, electoral malpractice and calls for cancellation of the results.

On Sunday, international election observers called for the cancellation of the election.

Humprey Bekaren, leader of African Centre for Leadership Strategies and Development, who spoke on behalf of the observers condemned the election in the state, saying: “We request all lovers of democracy to join us in calling for the outright cancellation of the phony election.

“Unless this is done, we would have sown the seed that could eventually grow into providing a shade of fear and death over us.

“What we saw did not meet international standard of electioneering, not even the ones set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”

However, Gesila Khan, the state resident electoral commissioner, said INEC cancelled election in centres with confirmed reports of electoral malpractice and held a re-run in the six local government areas.