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… Rivers Govt, APC Trade Accusations
By Joel Anekwe
The Rivers State Police Command has denied any involvement in disruption of the Saturday Bye-election into Port Harcourt Constituency III, which was reportedly marred by violence, snatching and destruction of electoral materials.
Zaki Ahmed, the state Commissioner for Police, absolving his men of any guilt said the police did not at any time collude with any political party to discredit the political process as alleged in some quarters.”
Apparently reacting to allegations of the State Governor, Nyesom Wike that the police has consistently sabotaged electoral process in the state, Ahmed told newsmen that there were adequate presence of police and other sister security agencies at the areas where the election was billed to take place.
He rather put the blame on thugs whom he said invaded the process and caused mayhem which led to the suspension of the election.
Ahmed said “Information at the command’s disposal, revealed the presence of political thugs at Miles II and III who were reportedly armed and we’re disrupting the voting process. The police in the wake of this information immediately deployed more personnel and armoured personnel carriers to safeguard the election process, lives and property which was done most professionally.
“The INEC officials who appeared to have been intimidated by the thugs were reassured by our presence. Accordingly, our counter measures against the thugs and the thuggery they exhibited, calmed the situation and the INEC officials left with some of the election materials and subsequently suspected the entire process.”
However, the CP who noted that no life was lost in the electoral violence, said “It must be emphasized that the timely action of the police in checkmating political thugs prevented the loss of lives and destruction of properties”.
He assured that the command would arrest all persons fingered to have played any negative role that led to the termination and suspension of the electoral process.
Meanwhile, following the cancellation of the bye-election, the Rivers State Government and the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC have accused each other for being responsible for the widespread violence and ballot snatching the marred the exercise.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC had Saturday evening announced the suspension of the election claiming that violence and irregularities were reported in areas covering over 72% of the election coverage area.
But reacting to the suspension on Sunday Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike stated that the consistency with which the Police sabotage the electoral process in Rivers State amounts to a declaration of war on the people.
In a state broadcast on Sunday on the failed Port Harcourt State Constituency Three Bye-Election which he claimed was disrupted by the Police and armed APC thugs, tge governor charged Rivers people not to succumb to the antics of the police, lest they become slaves in their fatherland.
In its own reaction the Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, in turn blamed the PDP of being the architects of the violence and disruption of the voting process witnessed during the Saturday’s by-election.
The party in a statement issued by its spokesman, Chris Finebone observed “with great disappointment and shock the use of Government House Port Harcourt police security to cart away electoral materials, rig and cause general disruption in the Saturday PHALGA 3 State Constituency bye-election in Rivers State”.
“The consistent sabotage of the electoral process by the Police amounts to a declaration of war against the people of Rivers State and their solemn rights to freely and fairly choose their leaders and representatives”, Wike declared in the broadcast.
He added; “Clearly there are dangerous times ahead but we must not give in to intimidation lest we lose our liberties and become slaves in our own land.
“Against the backdrop it is up to the people of Rivers State to choose the option that will serve their interest.”
The Governor explained that despite assurances from the Rivers State Commissioner of Police during the last State Security Council meeting that the police will remain neutral and act professionally, the police on Saturday August 18, 2018, joined forces with APC thugs to disrupt elections.
Wike stated: “As we had feared, the Police failed us completely once again and negated all that they promised. Instead of providing security for voters and INEC officials the Police brazenly colluded with political thugs of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to subvert the democratic process and denied the people of Port Harcourt Constituency III their rights to free, fair and credible elections.
“Confirmed reports from the field indicated that INEC promptly and rightly distributed elections materials to all the polling units within a recorded time.
“However, while voting was underway, armed thugs from the APC led by the State’s factional Chairman, Mr. Flag Ojukaye Amachree moved freely from one polling unit to the other, violently assaulted voters and INEC officials and carted away election materials, including smart card readers and ballot boxes.”
The governor added: “It is important to note that Ojukaye Flag Amachree who led the thugs is the same person facing multiple murder trial and instead of arresting him as ordered by the trial court, the Police has continued to aid and shield him from arrest and prosecution.
“It is equally important to note that Ojukaye Flag Amachree and his thugs freely and easily overran the entire constituency and successfully disenfranchised the electorates with the active support, protection and guidance of heavily armed Police operatives from the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS) and the Inspector General of Police’s Monitoring Unit.”
He noted that during the June 16, 2018 Local Government Elections where APC refused to participate, the polls were conducted peacefully without rancour.
The APC in its statement also alleged; “In the full view of the general public, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to Gov. Nyesom Wike led armed policemen attached to the Government House to assault innocent APC party agents and supporters, snatch electoral sensitive materials and generally disrupt the bye-election with a view to rigging the process in favour of the PDP candidate or in some cases prevent lawful voters from exercising their franchise”.
“It was with heavy heart that APC leaders, members and the public watched on as the PDP and their officials in Rivers State used policemen and armed militants to cause fracas in some wards during the bye-election in PHALGA 3, Rivers State. The sad development happened in the same fashion that PDP had deployed in rigging elections in the past especially during the 2015 elections and the rerun elections that followed”, it added.
Finebone went on: “The Rivers State chapter of APC condemns the blatant intervention in the bye-election process in PHALGA 3 by Gov. Wike’s CSO using policemen attached to the Government House, against the established guideline that such policemen are barred from accompanying officials of government to polling stations on Election Day.
“However, the APC applaud the brave intervention by security agents that ensured that the activities of the PDP did not substantially affect the overall outcome of the bye-election”.
