Anxiety in Rivers over ‘hijacking’ of Ikwerre results

As the people of Rivers east senatorial district await the final outcome of the legislative rerun election in order to know their representative in the upper chamber of the national assembly, there are reports that the results of Ikwerre local government area may have been hijacked.

Ikwerre and Emouha are the only local governments of the eight in the district where results of Saturday’s exercise have not been declared.

INEC has announced winners in Port Harcourt, Ogu/Bolo, Okrika, Omuma, Obio Akpor, and Etche local governments.

One of the security personnel at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation centre in Port Harcourt told TheCable that a top politician was in possession of the delayed results.

Nyesom Wike, governor of the state, and Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, both hail from the area.

While Amaechi denied knowledge of the incident, efforts to get the reaction of Wike did not yield the desired result.

Response to the mail sent to Simeon Nwakaudu, spokesman of Wike, was still being expected as of the time this report was filed.

“The minister is not  aware of what they are talking about,” David Iyiofor, Amaechi’s spokesman said in response to a text message.

Both men did not partake in the election. While election did not hold in Wike’s constituency, Amaechi deliberately stayed off the exercise owing to the missing result sheet at Ward 8, Unit 14, Ubima, where he was supposed to cast his ballot.

Ballot box snatching, missing result sheets, harassment of electoral officials were among the challenges witnessed in Ikwerre during the poll.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been trading blames for the disruption.

Collation of results started at the hall of Port Harcourt local government area around 1am on Sunday and has been suspended since 5:30am.

Collation is also going on in Rivers south-east, and Rivers west senatorial districts.