The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, released more results of the three senatorial, eight House of Representatives and 10 state House of Assembly re-run elections held in Rivers State.
With the results announced, yesterday, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won the Rivers East and Rivers West senatorial seats through Senator George Sekibo and Osinachukwu Ideozu. Senator Magnus Abe of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had earlier been declared as the winner of Rivers South-East senatorial seat.
This came as the APC rejected the result of Rivers-East senatorial re-run and the PDP also rejecting that of Rivers South-East senatorial district won by the APC. The results were announced after Governor Nyesom Wike led hundreds of PDP members to the INEC office in Port Harcourt, protesting the electoral umpire’s delay in releasing the results.
The PDP called for the immediate release of all the results alleging that INEC was withholding them to allow APC manipulate the results. In a statement issued in Abuja, the spokesman of the party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said the party was in possession of all the results as announced at the polling units and that it was clear the PDP had won.
The party also rejected the declaration of Magnus Abe as the winner of Rivers South East Senatorial District, saying no election was held in the area.”
How Sekibo reclaimed Rivers-East senatorial seat
Senator George Sekibo, who had in 2015 won the Rivers East senatorial district seat that was nullified by the courts, yesterday, retained the seat. Professor Orji Okumenkama, the returning officer for the Rivers East district declared the result at Port Harcourt City Local Government Area Sekibo with 93,098 votes defeated his rival, Chief Andrew Uchendu of the APC, who polled 34,193 votes. Senator Sekibo has commended the doggedness of his supporters, saying they stood to defend their votes.
The supporters and candidates of the PDP had taken over the premises of the Port Harcourt City Local Government Area due to alleged delay in release of the results. Governor Wike led hundreds of PDP members including His Chief of Staff, Mr. Emeka Woke; the Attorney General of the State, Emma Aguma; Uche Secondus and Chief Sergeant Awuse to the scene to ensure that the results collated were announced. Security men, who came with the governor, shot sporadically into the air, causing panic in the area before the results were announced.
At the Government House, while addressing the supporters, who were on ground when the result was announced, Wike vowed that intimidation would not happen in the state in any future election. Wike thanked the supporters for their resilience, noting that their efforts would not be forgotten.
“I thank God for the strength and courage he has given to us in this election. We have really sacrificed. I know that freedom comes with sacrifice. Rivers people were murdered for just a simple legislative election. The Federal Government came with their might to conquer Rivers State, just because they want to win.
They killed people because they want the state. The blood of those people they killed will be on their heads. States that cannot pay their workers’ salary and cannot carry out meaningful project in their states, brought money to rig election in this state. “They should be ashamed because they won one but we won two of the senatorial seats.
They fought but God said, no way. Do not be intimidated. This will never happen in 2019. They have shown us that there is no democracy in Nigeria. If not, why not conduct election the way it is done in other countries?” The PDP candidate, Randolf Brown has also been declared winner of the Degema/Bonny federal constituency in a result announced by Professor S.O. Eze. In Asari Toru LGA, the PDP won the two state constituency seats.
How Ideozu won in Rivers West
INEC also declared PDP’s Osinachukwu Ideozu as the winner of the of the Rivers West senatorial district election. He scored 107,166 votes to defeat Otelemaba Amachree of the APC, who garnered 48,898 votes. APC rejects Rivers East result Meantime, the APC has rejected the Senatorial result for Rivers East, saying it did not reflect the reported true position of votes cast.
Deputy Leader of the party, Dr Dakuku Peterside and Director General, NIMASA who addressed the press at the party’s state secretariat in Port Harcourt, alleged that INEC announced the results without including the one from Emohua local government area. Continuing, he said the results had also not been completely compiled in Etche local government area before Senator Sekibo was declared winner.
“This mocks democracy when Etche and Emohua results were not computed. What then were the results declared for Rivers East? We will not accept it,” he said. My victory reward for faithfulness – Senator Abe In his acceptance speech, Senator Abe thanked his supporters for their resilience and steadfastness.
His words: ‘’First is to say that this has been a titanic struggle; it has been a very difficult two years for Rivers people and for all of us. My victory in this election is a reward for faithfulness. I have been faithful to my party, the APC.
I have been faithful to my people, the people of the Rivers South East senatorial district and I have been faithful to my leaders and I think God in his infinite mercies has rewarded me with this unprecedented victory. There is no victor, no vanquished.
“I want to thank my friend and brother, Senator Olaka Nwogu for his very kind and peaceful words, which he has expressed to the people of this state.”
(Vanguard)
