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Tag: rivers

  • BREAKING: Court dismisses AAC’s suit against Rivers governorship poll

    BREAKING: Court dismisses AAC’s suit against Rivers governorship poll

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit by the African Action Congress (AAC) and one other, querying the propriety of handling of the last governorship and State Assembly elections in Rivers State, particularly as it relates to its announcement of the results, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment on Tuesday said the since the case was election-related, it was appropriate for the plaintiffs to take their case before an election tribunal.

    The Justice Ekwo declined jurisdiction and dismissed the case.

    The suit, marked FHC/ ABJ/CS/303/2019,has AAC, Engr Biokpomabo Festus Awara and Pastor (Dr.) Ben-Gurion John Peter as plaintiffs, with INEC and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    The plaintiffs noted INEC had earlier admitted that the election in Rivers State was marred with substantial violence that compromised the credibility of the entire process, and thereby suspended the election.

    They added that without calling for a fresh election, INEC announced, via a press release, that it was now set to continue with the election from Wednesday, 20th March 20 19.

  • Wike offered me N3 billion, says AAC gov candidate

    The African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Engr. Biokpomabo Awara, has addressed claims by his erstwhile deputy candidate that the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the All Progressives Congress (APC), forced them to sign post dated resignation letters.

    Aware while expressing disappointment over Yeeh’s resignation and defection to the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) refuted the allegations.

    According to him, Amaechi and the APC offered him and his party unconditional support, because of their shared ideology and love for the Rivers people.

    The AAC candidate, who spoke at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, said Yeeh decamped to PDP because he was under tremendous financial pressure.

    He said, “When the story of his resignation first came out as a rumour, that Rivers State Governor have offered him N200m to abandon me, I had no reason to believe it because that Elder Yeeh was aware I had earlier turned down an offer of N3bn, Gov. Wike offered to me some days ago through his associates. I discussed this with my running mate and outlined why we must not succumb to the lure from the governor or any interest group. I was convinced that we were in agreement because he neither expressed nor alluded to a difference in opinion on the matter.

    “When the rumour became rife by Sunday, I made several attempts to reach my deputy without success. I started developing some strange feelings pointing to a possible sell-out by him.

    “I am aware that a key component of their plot is to attempt to smear the towering image and figure of the Honourable Minister of Transportation Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. I want to state categorically that all the accusations made by my running mate against the Honourable Minister are blatant lies poorly crafted by his paymaster, Governor Wike and associates, and you could see how tough it was for him to read the script handed to him.

    “Let me be clear. I was never asked to and did not sign any letter of resignation. I am aware that my deputy also was not asked to or signed any letter of resignation. My deputy, Elder Akpo Bomba Yeeh, is believed to be under tremendous financial pressure based on his statements.

    “The support the AAC got from the Honourable Minister and the APC was unconditional. Those conditions my deputy alleged in the statement drafted for him by Governor Wike are false, crude lies. The alliance between AAC and APC for the governorship election is as a result of our shared love for the state and our shared vision to liberate Rivers State from the shackles of cultism, rapidly growing poverty and the unsafe nature of our state in the hands of an administration that has wrecked almost everything in our state.

    “It is indeed sad, regrettable, disheartening and pathetic that my running mate will act in the way he did. I feel pity and sorry for him. However, I must be quick to add that it is one move that has no consequences on the AAC governorship ticket. It is inconsequential in all ramifications. No sane man standing an election as crucial as that of Rivers State will say the things he said.

    “One of the reasons I picked him as my running mate was because of the long running relationship between the Ogoni and Kalabari people, dating back to pre-independence. I also chose him because I saw a fatherly figure and capacity in him that could benefit Rivers Youths. I personally saw our joint ticket as Obama/Joe Biden ticket.”

  • Rivers: Wike ‘bribed’ AAC deputy governorship candidate N200m to withdraw from race – APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has alleged that the deputy governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the state, Akpo Yeeh, was bribed with N200 million by Governor Nyesom Wike to defect from the AAC.

    Recall that Yeeh stunned the public on Monday when he resigned his membership of the AAC, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and pledged political support to Wike who has been battling to survive a tough election battle with the AAC.

    Yeeh’s action came as a surprise to many because his party, backed by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and the APC, has become the major opposition against PDP in the state.

    The court had barred the APC from being on the ballot because of the internal power struggle in the party.

    More so, the governorship and the House of Assembly elections are yet to be concluded in the state.

    “Honestly, I think we are not surprised at the news that the deputy governorship candidate of the African Action Congress, Mr Akpo Yeeh, has resigned the membership of his party to join Wike after collecting N200 million from the government,” the APC spokesperson in Rivers, Chris Finebone, said in a reaction to the development on Tuesday afternoon.

    “We are only reacting to his decision because we adopted in principles, the AAC governorship candidate, Biokpomabo Awara, and the fact that Mr Akpo, for want of justification for his actions, is struggling to lie about the Hon. Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

    “Even the retarded of the earth know that Mr Akpo simply responded to what many people called ‘stomach infrastructure’.

    “Depending on Mr Akpo’s station in life, N200 million definitely is a once in a lifetime opportunity he had to grab. His ilk totally jettisons their conscience in time like that.

    “We wish him well. We only want to inform Mr Akpo that even as he struggles to reap from a script written by others, that in a few days he came close, he had no opportunity to know or to associate with the minister as to be in a position to say what he is claiming,” Mr Finebone said.

    The Rivers State government has denied that it bribed Yeeh to abandon the AAC.

    “They are talking rubbish,” the Commissioner for Information in the state, Emma Okah, said of the bribery allegation.

    “They are a people who have no shame, trying to distract people’s attention from the calamity which they have inflicted upon the people of Rivers State during the elections.

    “Why do we need to bribe a deputy governorship candidate? Does it change the fact that we won the elections? Are we under any threat by AAC?” Okah said.

    The commissioner said the PDP has won the governorship and the House of Assembly elections in the state.

    “What we can say is to thank the man (Mr Yeeh) for realising that there comes a time in a man’s life when you must tell yourself the truth,” he said.

     

  • Rivers guber: AAC deputy governorship candidate defects to PDP, gives reasons

    The drama in the Rivers State governorship election took a different twist on Monday when the deputy governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Gakpo Bomba Yeeh dumped his party for the ruling party in the state, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Announcing his withdrawal from the yet-to-be concluded governorship election, Yeeh said he decided to dump the AAC to join hands with Governor Nyesom Wike to move Rivers State forward.

    As it stands today, the incumbent governor and governorship candidate of the PDP, Wike is contesting for the state top job with the AAC candidate, Biokpomabo Awarato.

    Yeeh while addressing reporters in his Port Harcourt home on Monday said, said: “After due consultations with my immediate family, friends and supporters, I, Chief Akpo Bomba Yeeh, the governorship running mate of the AAC for the 2019 governorship election, hereby resign my membership of the AAC and announce my defection to the PDP to join hands with Governor Wike to move the state forward.

    “I was the governorship running mate of the AAC in Rivers State up till today (yesterday), 25th March, 2019, when I decided to withdraw my candidature and resign from the party with immediate effect.

    “The March 9 , governorship election in Rivers State has been lost and won; lost by my party, African Action Congress (AAC) and its candidate, Biokpomabo Awara and undoubtedly and overwhelmingly won by the Governor of Rivers State, the candidate of the PDP, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.”

    He noted that despite interference by security agencies, the Rivers people stood their ground and voted for the incumbent.

    Yeeh said: “The collated results further showed that contrary to the claim of fictitious lead by the AAC/APC alliance, the PDP overwhelmingly won all the elections in 18 out of the 19 LGAs, culminating in the declaration and return of the party’s 26 House of Assembly constituencies by the Constituency Returning Officers.

    “This fact was confirmed on the 13th of March, 2019, when INEC stated, as a matter of fact, that it had in its safe custody collated results for 17 local government areas as well as the declaration of the PDP candidates for 21 state constituencies.

    “The outcome of the elections on March 9, 2019, clearly showed the preference of the people. Even the blind can see and the deaf can hear the echo that Rivers people overwhelmingly voted to stick with Governor Wike for the next four years to encourage him to continue with the good works.”

    The former AAC governorship running mate told reporters that he had been forced to sign an undated letter of resignation to be effective after their expected inauguration.

    He alleged: “I was forced to sign an undated letter of resignation as the Deputy Governor of Rivers State to pave the way for Rotimi Amaechi to nominate another person as deputy governor.

    “These were slavish conditions for any rational politician worth his name to accept, but I pretended to play along because doing otherwise at that time would have been too dangerous for the safety of my life, given Amaechi’s desperation to remove Wike from office and install his stooge in the person of Engr Awara against all odds.”

    According to him, the Transportation minister, who adopted the AAC, promised to fund the party.

    He stated that the adoption and promise to deliver AAC was with conditions that conferred de facto governance on the minister.

    Yeeh, who outlined the conditions, said: “First, he (Amaechi) must be the one to appoint 90 per cent of all political office holders, including commissioners, special advisers, and chairmen and members of government agencies and parastatals.

    “Second, he must be the one to nominate and produce all the 23 local government area’s chairmen and other principal officers of the councils.

    “We, that is, Awara and my humble self, must consult and take instructions from him on all financial, policy and fiscal matters, as well as award and payment of all contracts and other financial transactions upon inauguration as governor and deputy governor of the state.

    “As a practicing Christian, I have come to the conclusion that the actions and desperate attempts by the AAC/APC alliance to rig the governorship and State Assembly elections in Rivers State are both morally and legally wrong, reprehensible and inimical to the collective interest of the people of Rivers State.

    “The Almighty God will not forgive me if I continue to lend my support to Rotimi Amaechi’s perfidy against the democratic rights of the people of Rivers State to freely elect their own leaders.”

    Yeeh stated that he has informed Awara in writing of his withdrawal and resignation from the race and the AAC.

     

  • BREAKING: INEC announces dates for collation of Rivers governorship poll results

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has outlined activities and timeline to resolve the electoral logjam in Rivers State.

    An INEC spokesperson, Festus Okoye, disclosed this at a press briefing at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

    According to him, the activities began on the March 19 when the commission had engagements with major actors.

    This will be followed by an inter-agency meeting between the commission and other relevant agencies on March 29, in Rivers State.

    On March 30, the commission said it will have a meeting with critical actors after which the headquarters of the commission will release a guideline for the continuation of the process.

    Revalidation of observers, the commission said, will be done simultaneously in Abuja and Rivers State between March 25 and March 31.

    From April 2 to April 5, INEC will resume the collation of results in the state.

    The commission also said April 13 has been set should there be a need for a supplementary election after which declaration of the final results would be made between April 13 and 15.

    The issuance of the certificate of return will be done on April 19.

    The collation of the results for the election held on March 9 was suspended due to violence allegedly carried out by soldiers and armed thugs.

  • Rivers Election: Court declines AAC petition against INEC to stop result compilation

    Rivers Election: Court declines AAC petition against INEC to stop result compilation

    The Federal High Court, Abuja on Wednesday declined to give an order stopping the collation of results of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Rivers on March 9.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo, in his ruling in an application filed by the plaintiffs, Mr Biokpomabo Awara and Ben-Gurion Peter of the African Action Congress, (AAC), held that the application was such that the court could not grant without hearing from the other parties.

    The plaintiffs, represented by Tawo Tawo (SAN), in an ex parte application, prayed for an order , stopping INEC from resuming collation, concluding and announcing the results of the March 9 election in Rivers.

    The judge, rather ordered the plaintiffs to put the respondents, INEC and the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), on notice and fixed March 25 for both the plaintiffs and respondents to appear before him to argue their case.

    Earlier, Justice Ekwo drew the attention of the plaintiffs’ counsel to news making the rounds that he had already restrained INEC from going ahead to take further action on the Rivers election.

    The judge also drew Tawo’s attention to a name Inyang Ewa, who granted the purported order but the counsel denied the existence of such name for any Federal High Court judge.

    The judge cautioned those behind the false news, saying that it was wrong for anybody or group to resort to self-help as such was prohibited in the judiciary.

  • Army defends ‘intervention’ in Rivers governorship poll, fingers Wike, INEC, Police in electoral chaos

    Army defends ‘intervention’ in Rivers governorship poll, fingers Wike, INEC, Police in electoral chaos

    The Nigerian Army, on Monday, disagreed with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), over the position it adopted regarding the governorship election in Rivers State.

    It maintained that the electoral body failed to look at the circumstances surrounding its intervention during the conduct of the exercise and more so when it made a presentation to the commission’s fact-finding committee during its visit to the State.

    In a statement issued by the Deputy Director Army Public Relations in Charge of 6 Division, Colonel Aminu Iliyasu, the Army accused the Festus Okoye committee of lack of sincerity in its final report.

    “Headquarters 6 Division Nigerian Army (NA) have observed with dismay and sense of betrayal in the statement made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) signed by its National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee Festus Okoye Esq on 15 March 2019.

    “The statement according to INEC was the findings of its Fact-Finding Committee that assessed the situation in Rivers State.

    “It is, however, pertinent to note that, representatives of the 6 Division met with the Fact-Finding Committee on Tuesday 12 March 2019 at the INEC Headquarters in Port Harcourt and had honest discussions and made a written submission to aid the Committee in its task

    ” Regrettably, none of the Division’s input form any of the findings of INEC as made public. This clearly indicates lack of trust by an institution that the NA sacrifices so much to assist in the course of performing their role.

    “Genesis of the suspension of Governorship/State House of Assembly elections process in Rivers State

    “What INEC failed to mention or even consider is the fact that at about 10:30 pm on Saturday 9th March 2019, troops of 6 Division NA detailed at the outer perimeter of Obio/Akpor Local Government Headquarters Collation Center were brazenly attacked by Governor Wike’s security aides and armed thugs who stormed the collation center with the Governor in a convoy of more than 50 vehicles while collation of results was going on. In the ensuing melee, Captain Adams Salami was shot at close range by the security aides of Governor Wike while Corporal Adeosun Adebayo was matcheted by Governor Wike’s thugs.

    “Both victims are currently receiving treatment at University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) Intensive Care Unit and Military Hospital Port Harcourt respectively with life-threatening injuries.

    “Thereafter, election materials were carted away and electoral officials abducted by the Governor’s thugs to an unknown destination. This was made known to the INEC Fact-Finding Committee but INEC does not see it worth condemning or mention in its report.

    “Consequently, after due consultations and considerations between 6 Division and the Rivers State Police Command on Sunday the 10th of March 2019, the Rivers State Police Command, on their own, – took the initiative to invite the media to the hospitals where the 2 victims are receiving treatment and thereafter to host a press conference on the matter with the view to dissociate itself from the unprofessional conduct exhibited by their men attached to Wike and tell the public what disciplinary action the command will take or is already taking.

    “However, while the visit to the victims was accomplished and the 2 victims interviewed by the media, the press conference was aborted by the Police after journalists have been assembled.

    “Coincidentally, a rescheduled press conference on the matter was also aborted on Thursday the 14th of March 2019. Most disheartening is that while the Rivers State Police Command accepts the involvement of their personnel in the attack at Obio/Akpor LG Headquarters, till date those personnel have not at least been reprimanded.

    “To this end, – in the circumstance, – the 6 Division NA as a stakeholder in the 2019 General Elections takes exception to the lopsided and therefore unfair INEC report and is hereby strongly and totally rejected by the NA.

    “The Division is equally disappointed with the attitude exhibited by the Nigerian Police in this regard and hereby request the police leadership to commence full scale investigation of those security aides to Governor Wike that attacked troops at the Obio/Akpor LG Headquarters Collation Center and shot at Capt AA Salami with a view to appropriately sanction those found responsible/culpable. Until that is done, Headquarters 6 Division NA will have to review all existing joint activities with the Rivers State Police Command,” the statement read.

     

  • Supplementary Elections: Rivers REC must go – APC

    Supplementary Elections: Rivers REC must go – APC

    All Progressives Congress (APC) National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, has called on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to immediately redeploy Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Obo Effanga.

    Issa-Onilu said in a statement that the redeployment became necessary to prevent the REC from skewing the forthcoming supplementary elections in favour of the opposition.

    He added that it was on record that Gov. Wike, through the Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Obo Effanga, engaged PDP card-carrying members as Local Government Area (LGA) Collation Officers in the last poll and was capable of repeating same in forthcoming elections.

    He recalled that since the suspension of the electoral process in Rivers, Gov. Wike and the State REC, Obo Effanga, had been re-writing and doctoring unit results in Rivers State Government House to favour Wike.

    Issa-Onilu observed the proactive steps taken by security agents to checkmate a repeat of the 2015 killings and destruction, and that the report of the security saying this should be applauded by all peace-loving people.

    He, however, called on Nigerians and the international community not to be hoodwinked into believing that Nigerian security agencies interfered in the electoral process in Rivers.

    “It is a misleading narrative being planted in the media to particularly blackmail the military and the Federal Government into pulling out security agents from the state,” he said.

    This, the APC spokesman said would return the state to the killing field many witnessed before, during and after the 2015 elections.

  • Finally, INEC reveals what it will do to address Rivers governorship poll impasse

    …says 17 out 23 LG results already in its custody

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that results from 17 Local Government areas out of 23 in Rivers governorship election are available and in the commission’s custody.

    INEC disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday night by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye.

    Okoye said that the commission made the declaration after its meeting on Friday where it considered the report of the Fact-Finding Committee set up to assess the situation in Rivers where election process was suspended.

    The Commission had on March 10, suspended all electoral processes in Rivers having determined that there was widespread disruption of collation of results of the elections conducted in the state on March 9.

    Subsequently, the Commission set up a Fact-Finding Committee to assess the situation and report back within 48 hours.

    Okoye said that the Commission met on Friday and considered the report of the Committee and established that the Governorship and state House of Assembly elections took place in most of the polling units and results were announced.

    “That the results from 17 Local Governments out of 23 are available and are in the Commission’s custody.

    “That the Declaration and Returns for 21 State Constituencies out of 32 were made prior to the suspension.

    “That collation centres were invaded by some soldiers and armed gangs resulting in the intimidation and unlawful arrest of election officials thereby disrupting the collation process,” he said.

    Okoye said that consequently upon the foregoing, the Commission was committed to expeditious completion of the collation process where results of the elections had been announced.

    The national commissioner said that INEC would issue detailed timelines and activities for the completion of the election on Wednesday, March 20.

    He added that the commission expressed its displeasure with the role played by some soldiers and armed gangs in the state, disrupting the collation process and attempting to subvert the will of the people.

    Okoye said the commission also resolve that it “will engage the security agencies at national level and the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee at the state level to demand neutrality and professionalism of security personnel in order to secure a peaceful environment for the completion of the elections.

    “The commission will also engage with key stakeholders in Rivers State with a view to ensuring a smooth and peaceful completion of the process.”

  • Rivers poll: INEC says results from 17 LGAs in its custody

    Rivers poll: INEC says results from 17 LGAs in its custody

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that results from 17 Local Government areas out of 23 in Rivers governorship election are available and in the commission’s custody.

    INEC disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday night by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye.

    Okoye said that the commission made the declaration after its meeting on Friday where it considered the report of the Fact-Finding Committee set up to assess the situation in Rivers where election process was suspended.

    The Commission had on March 10, suspended all electoral processes in Rivers having determined that there was widespread disruption of collation of results of the elections conducted in the state on March 9.

    Subsequently, the Commission set up a Fact-Finding Committee to assess the situation and report back within 48 hours.

    Okoye said that the Commission met on Friday and considered the report of the Committee and established that the Governorship and state House of Assembly elections took place in most of the polling units and results were announced.

    “That the results from 17 Local Governments out of 23 are available and are in the Commission’s custody.

    “That the Declaration and Returns for 21 State Constituencies out of 32 were made prior to the suspension.

    “That collation centres were invaded by some soldiers and armed gangs resulting in the intimidation and unlawful arrest of election officials thereby disrupting the collation process,” he said.

    Okoye said that consequently upon the foregoing, the Commission was committed to expeditious completion of the collation process where results of the elections had been announced.

    The national commissioner said that INEC would issue detailed timelines and activities for the completion of the election on Wednesday, March 20.

    He added that the commission expressed its displeasure with the role played by some soldiers and armed gangs in the state, disrupting the collation process and attempting to subvert the will of the people.

    Okoye said the commission also resolve that it “will engage the security agencies at national level and the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee at the state level to demand neutrality and professionalism of security personnel in order to secure a peaceful environment for the completion of the elections.

    “The commission will also engage with key stakeholders in Rivers State with a view to ensuring a smooth and peaceful completion of the process.”