Thousands Call For Vote Re-Run In Rivers State

Thousands of supporters of opposition party on Sunday demonstrated in the southern state of Rivers, calling for the cancellation of elections locally because of alleged irregularities.

The demonstrators from the All Progressives Congress (APC) converged on the local offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state capital, Port Harcourt.

All Progressives Congress (APC) party supporters march towards the Independent National Electoral Commission Office in Port Harcourt during a demonstration calling for the cancellation of the Presidential elections in the Rivers State on March 29, 2015.

Nigeria’s closely fought general election went into a second day after failures in controversial new technology snarled the polling, including for President Goodluck Jonathan.

All Progressives Congress (APC) party supporters march towards the Independent National Electoral Commission Office in Port Harcourt during a demonstration calling for the cancellation of the Presidential elections in the Rivers State on March 29, 2015. Nigeria’s closely fought general election went into a second day after failures in controversial new technology snarled the polling, including for President Goodluck Jonathan.

“We are here to register our protest that there was no election in Rivers state yesterday (Saturday),” Rivers state governorship candidate Dakuku Peterside told the crowd.

Peterside alleged that APC supporters across the state were “disenfranchised by INEC, working in connivance with (the) PDP (Peoples Democratic Party)”.

Results sheets, which in Nigerian elections are given at every polling station to both party representatives and the local electoral commission after the count, were not provided, he alleged.

“INEC in collaboration with (the) Peoples Democratic Party hijacked the materials and were filling them in private homes for the PDP,” Peterside claimed.

“Since the results sheets were not available, we did not vote. If there was no voting, there is no way they can declare any result.”

Peterside called for the presidential and parliamentary election to be re-held in Rivers on a new date.

Rivers state in the oil-producing Delta is seen as a key battleground for the presidential election, at which APC candidate Muhammadu Buhari is fighting President Goodluck Jonathan, of the PDP.

At the last election in 2011, it was won by the PDP but governor Rotimi Amaechi switched to the APC two years later and there has been bad blood between the two ever since.

Amaechi, who is heading Buhari’s presidential campaign, was among those who refused to vote after being told that results sheets would not be made available.

The supporters shouted anti-INEC slogans and “we must vote” against a heavy police presence.

Local INEC spokeswoman Tonia Nwobi said before the protest: “It is not true that INEC has had any result to favour any party.

“We have received results from only one local government out of 23 (in the state).”(Vanguard)