People’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) elders in Rivers State have come hard on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing it of working with extraneous forces to shift the date of collation of results of the March 9 governorship election to April 2.

They warned that doing so is tantamount to deliberately precipitating constitutional crisis and setting the state on fire.

INEC had earlier set March 20 (yesterday) date for the commencement of collation of results for the governorship/state assembly election which it suspended as a result controversy over the alleged infamous role played by security agencies at collation centres.

The Rivers State African Action Congress (AAC/APC) alliance, led by the Minister of Transport, Chibuike Amaechi approached an Abuja High Court presided over by Justice Inyang Ekpo for an exparte order restraining INEC from going ahead with the collation and announcement of results of the election. The judge yesterday struck out the motion.

INEC said it had already collated the results of 19 local government areas and would conclude the collation of remaining councils as soon as possible.

However, Speaking with Daily Sun, the elders which include former governor of the state, Celestine Omehia, former minister, George Sekibo, Chairman of the stats chapter of PDP, Felix Obua and Sergeant Awuse said there was a reliable information that the commission has shifted the collation date to April 2.

They accused INEC of dancing to the tune of extraneous forces and working to set the state on fire.

The elders described as dishonourable and shameful the decision of the commission to recant from its earlier promise to start the collation of the results of the election on March 20 (yesterday).

“What INEC wants to do is to precipitate crisis in Rivers. It is now clear that it has bowed to extraneous forces,” Obuah told Daily Sun.

Contacted, INEC ‘s National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye neither denied nor confirmed the allegation of the elders. He told Daily Sun that the commission will speak on the matter and other issues today.

“I have nothing to say on this at the moment, INEC will speak on it and other issues tomorrow (today).

But warning that INEC was treading on a dangerous ground with the planned shift in the date of the collation of results, Omehia, Sergeant Awuse, Obuah and Sekibo said INEC’s move has the potential of setting it against the people of the state.

id911:
One day we will stone Amaechi in the Niger Delta

dre11:







https://www.sunnewsonline.com/rivers-elders-allege-plot-to-shift-results-collation-to-april-2/

dre11:







https://www.sunnewsonline.com/rivers-elders-allege-plot-to-shift-results-collation-to-april-2/

EagleNest:
INEC should not be seen as partisan otherwise the credibility of it as an independent institution could be queried.

They should simply do the RIGHT thing.

AutoSpaNg:
Well, if the elders are saying it then it might be true. The elders usually do not go around talking.

chrisxxx:
The only and solely only way to remove Wike as the governor of Rivers State is through military coup. Democratically it is not possible. Amaechi knows this.
The claim that Wike used military in 2015 to win election is not correct. Everyone remembered it was Amaechi who claimed that parade had changed gear immediately after the presidential election and it was so. Even at that APC went to court to stop military interference.
Wike may not be the best person but so far as his opponent is Amaechi or believed to be sponsored/supported by Amaechi Rivers people will always vote for him(Wike). If Wike rigged in 2015, it would have been very possible to butt him out with almost all the paraphernalia, arsenal and apparatchik of the federal government deployed against him. Amaechi knows the disdain Rivers people nurse for him. Even his attempt to pitch the riverine people against the upland people is not working.
When did Amaechi start to love the Ijaws? If he didnt like the Ijaws at the level of presidency will it not amount to mockery to support them at the gubernatorial level? I know someone close to him will come across this, a message should be sent to him that the voice of the people is the voice of God.