Tag Archives: Rivers Election

Rivers Election: 25 electoral officials hospitalized — INEC

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday said that more than 25 of its staff members were hospitalised due to Saturday’s supplementary election held in Etche, Rivers.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Aniedi Ikoiwak, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt that the victims were attacked and wounded by Rivers people.

According to him, one of the victims regained consciousness on Sunday.

“This is one area that Nigerians should ask questions: over 25 INEC staff members are in hospital today because the people of Rivers State decided to either kill or wound them.

“They were all beaten up because they went to those villages to conduct an election.

“Let the people of Rivers State tell us the offence of any of them.

“What did they do? They were bringing materials for the election; they decided to descend on them, beat them up, collect their personal belongings and run away,” he said.

Mr. Ikoiwak noted that the victims were on official duties and needed a peaceful environment to achieve success.

He called on Nigerians to condemn the alleged attack.

“It is very sad. None of them was beaten up in his home but where they went to conduct an election.

“Why shouldn’t Nigerians discuss that? Why should people sent to conduct an election be beaten up and their belongings taken away from them?” he asked.

NAN reports that about 700 staff members of the commission were mobilised for the supplementary legislative election in Etche.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) had withdrawn from assisting INEC in the election due to security issues.

 

Source: NAN

Rivers election: Former militant leader, Ateke Tom, preaches peace.

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An ex-militant leader in Rivers, Chief Ateke Tom, has called on the people of the state to be peaceful during the December 10 re-run elections in some parts of the state.

Tom, who made the call in Port Harcourt on Monday while fielding questions from newsmen, said that peace remained crucial for a successful re-run elections in the state.

He said that it was undemocratic for political parties to promote issues capable of igniting crisis, adding, “politics should not be a do or die affair”.

Tom, a former leader of the Niger Delta Vigilante, called on youth in the state not to be lured into indulging in violence for whatever reason.

He said that it was more beneficial to encourage peace because violence was capable of making people to shy away from exercising their franchise.

He said, “Parties should be free to hold their campaigns anywhere in the state without fear or favour.

“I am ready to support the holding of party campaigns even in my bedroom, in my village too, every party is welcome.”

Tom further called on the security agencies to be very thorough in their responsibilities so that criminals would have no hiding place in the state.

It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission fixed December 10 for re-run elections into some State and National Assembly positions in the state.

Rivers Election Petition Tribunal Grants Wike Leave

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The Rivers Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday granted substituted service of court processes on the Rivers Governor-elect, Nyesom Wike.

Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Muazu Pindiga, granted the application after listening to a motion ex-parte brought by the petitioner’s counsel, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN).

Wike, the defendant, was the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the governorship election held on April 11, while Dakuku Peterside, the petitioner, was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The motion ex-parte. also prayed the court to grant a leave to the petitioner to bring his application outside or before the hearing session.

Other prayers sought by the petitioner was an order for him to argue some issues outside or before the hearing session.

He also sought for an order for the petitioner to deliver to the third respondent, the PDP, the court processes through the state chapter of the party.

Akeredolu told the court that the bailiff of the Court of Appeal in Rivers has tried twice to affect the service of court processes on the governor-elect but was not successful. According to Akeredolu, the motion ex-parte is supported with a 19 paragraph-affidavit of non-service and a written address to support the argument.

He said that the motion was brought in accordance with the Electoral Act and the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rule.

Pindiga, who granted the prayers, ordered that the court processes should be pasted on the wall of the house of the governor-elect. “I have gone through the motion ex-parte and it is hereby granted; all the court processes are deem valid,” the chairman said.

At the inaugural sitting before the court session, Pindiga told the court that the tribunal only has 180 days to sit on the governorship election issue in Rivers.

According to the chairman, the tribunal will be fair and will be guided by the Electoral Act in the discharge of its duties.

Pindiga called for the cooperation of all litigants and journalists, adding that the “tribunal will sit by 9 a.m. in all the days of the week or on any day agreed upon by all the counsel.”

Credit: NAN

Rivers Election Petition Tribunal Relocates To Abuja

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The Rivers Election Petition Tribunal has relocated to Abuja for security reasons. This is contained in a statement made available to the media on Wednesday in Abuja.

The statement was issued and signed by Deborah Musa, Secretary of the tribunal. The statement said that the relocation was approved by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa.

The statement said Justice Ishaq Bello, the acting Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, approved the FCT High Court, Apo, as the secretariat and trial court for the tribunal.

Credit: NAN

Jonathan Claims Landslide Victory In Rivers

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The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has declared President Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the winner of the Presidential elections in Rivers State.

Returning Officer and Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Prof. John Etu-Efeotor,  who announced the result at INEC office in Port Harcourt, said the  PDP won in  the 23 local government areas of the state.

He said the PDP polled 1 487 075 votes while the All Progressives Congress (APC), polled a total of 60 238. The total number of registered voters in the state is 2 324 300, while only 1 643 409 were accredited for the general elections, he said.

Read More: Vanguard