Peterside: Never has an election in Rivers been this fraudulent

Dakuku Peterside, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Rivers state governorship election, has accused the police of working with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rig the poll.

Speaking on Monday during an interview on Channels Television, Peterside alleged that on the election eve, all the policemen who were supposed to provide security were withdrawn from the state.

“The commitment we got from the inspector-general of police was that policemen would be deployed to the three senatorial districts in Rivers,” he said.

“But on the eve of the election, I was told that the inspector general of police got a call from the villa that all the policemen must be withdrawn from Rivers.”

He further described the election as sham, saying electoral materials were not only hijacked by hoodlums but results of some polling units were unknown, including his own unit.

“Hoodlums hijacked ballot boxes at different areas; I did not see any result from the polling unit where I voted and some other polling units,” he said.

“PDP has a strategy to intimidate the people of Rivers state; they recruited enough thugs to intimidate people. Card readers were not used in at least 90 percent of the voting booth in Rivers; card readers were by-passed deliberately.

“In two places where they used card readers, after accreditation, thugs, hoodlums or militants moved from polling booths hijacking materials, ballot papers, and result sheets.”

Dakuku said the level of electoral fraud was high, adding that his party would make sure that the result “does not stand”.

“One thing that we are sure of is that this won’t stand,” he said.

“The level of electoral fraud this time was much. We have never had it in this form before. I’m consulting with party leaders and I am sure that very soon, we will come out with a position.”