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Monday, April 13, 2015

RIVERS STATE ELECTION MAY BE ANNULLED

International Observers Call For Cancellation Of Rivers’ Gov & Assembly Result Port Harcourt – International election observers on Sunday called for the cancellation of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers.
BY NAN/VANGUARDAPR 13, 2015 2.9K 153 20 Port Harcourt – International election observers on Sunday called for the cancellation of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers. Muhammadu Buhari with EU election observer The leader of African Centre for Leadership Strategies and Development, Mr Humphrey Bekaren, who spoke on behalf of the observers, made the call in Port Harcourt. He said the observers were shocked that INEC disregarded the widely reported violent irregularities to begin the process of declaring results in the state. ‘’ 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,’’ he said.
According to Bekaren, what happened in Rivers was a far cry from what election should be. ‘’ What we saw did not meet international standard of electioneering, not even the ones set by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC,’’ he said. He said there were reported incidents like deliberate delays and diversion of electoral materials, attacks on electoral officers, widespread arson and voter intimidation.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Rivers, Mrs Gesila Khan, said INEC cancelled election in centres with reported electoral malpractices. She said re-run elections took place in six local government areas in the state where electoral malpractices were reported. (NAN)

Police Want To Doctor The Statements Of Persons Arrested Perpetrating Electoral Crimes In Tai, Rivers State

Electoral officers

The persons arrested include 75 National Youth Service Corps, NYSC members who are adhoc staff of INEC. They were arrested with the electoral materials of about 9 wards by MOPOL 56 in Rivers St
 
They were caught thumb-printing ballot papers for PDP candidates in the private residence of a PDP chieftain in Tai.

The Governor of Rivers State have been reliably informed that the police now want to doctor their statements, in a bid to exonerate the culprits caught thumb-printing ballot papers for the PDP in Tai; so that the culprits can be subsequently released.



David Iyofor
Chief Press Secretary to The Rivers State Governor