The several months of battle for the conclusion of the
outstanding elections in Rivers State will end today, as voters across 1,840
polling units in the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State, will come
out to vote for candidates of their choice.
Violence and electoral fraud marred the March 19 rerun
election, such that the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) withheld the
result of some LGAs while the result of seven of Local Government Councils was
cancelled out rightly.
Areas where most of the election
will hold include Andoni, Akuku-Torlu, Bonny, Etche, Ikwerre, Khana and Gokana.
About 10,294 INEC staff have been
deployed including three returning officers for three senatorial districts,
eight returning officers, 222 registration areas and 231 supervisory presiding
officers.
The election will take place across
21 constituencies and 10 state constituencies - Rivers East, Rivers West and
Rivers South East senatorial districts.
The eight federal constituencies are
Akuk-tolu, Asari- tolu, Degema/Bonny, Okrika/Ogu/Bolo, Etche/Omuma,
Ikwerre/Emohua, Khana/Gokana, Eleme/Tia/Oyigbo and Opopo/Nkoro/Andoni .
The state constituencies are Eleme,
Gokana, Asari-Tolu 1, Asari-Tolu 2, Andoni, Khana 2, Etche 2, Ikwerre, Bonny
and Degema.
Election had been concluded in some
constituencies with the declaration of results and return of winners by the
respective returning officers. In some areas collation had been concluded but
no declaration or return was made.
One of the areas in serious
contention is Tia Local Government Area where INEC allotted 34,000 votes to the
APC. The commission until the Tuesday judgement delivered by Justice Muhammad
Liman where he directed that there should be a rerun election in the area, INEC
had insisted the election had been concluded.
The battle for the soul of Rivers
State politics had been between Governor Nyesom Wike and his ex-political soul
mate and Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi.
While Amaechi pitched its tent with
the APC, Wike stayed put in the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) the platform on
which he rose to power in 2015 as governor of the state.
Today’s election is a straight fight
between Amaechi and Wike and the political turf will once again provide a
platform for them to prove their worth on who calls the shot in Rivers State
political space.
The date for the rerun election had
been shifted severally because of what INEC described as unfriendly and hostile
environment for the conduct of the election. But the announcement of December
10, 2016 as date for the completion of the rerun election had heightened
political tension in the state as residents as well as stakeholders in the
conduct of the election - despite the assurance given by the police that it
would provide round the clock security - are having misgivings over their
safety during and after the election.
The police said it would deploy
about 25,000 of its personnel to ensure a hitch free poll. As at
Wednesday, hundreds of police personnel drafted from different formations
across the country had arrived Port Harcourt.
One of the
measures adopted to ensure that the election is devoid of violence is the
restriction of movement 24 hours to the election. Rivers State Commissioner of
Police, Francis Odesanya, during a stakeholders meeting in Port Harcourt said
there would be restriction of movement all over the state from 12.00am to
8.00pm today.
He also said
police personnel attached to personalities in the State had been withdrawn and
movement of personalities within the areas they would not cast votes would be
restricted. He warned that no police personnel would be allowed to carry arms
within the election venue.
Marine craft,
gunboats and other weaponry sections of the Force have also been deployed to
the state for the election.
Despite the
assurances that it will be a peaceful exercise, members of the National Youths
Service Corps, (NYSC) who are engaged by INEC as adhoc staff for the election
said they would not participate.
Director-General
of the NYSC, Brigadier-General Suleiman Kazaure, while sensitizing corps
members who volunteered to partake, on security and safety, before,
during and after elections, also said the NYSC would not take it lightly if any
corps member was harmed.
Kazaure, who
spoke through the Director, Corps Welfare and Health Services, Mrs.
Abosede Okaku, harped on the safety of the Corps members and said the life of
every NYSC member on national assignment was very important, warning that every
step would be taken to ensure their safety.
He reminded the
corps members that none of them was forced to accept the job, while warning
them to shun every form of electoral malpractice and secure their lives first
before any other thing, “if you are in obvious danger.”
The DG told them: “Put your uniform
and your ID cards, so that we will know who is an impersonator. If you find out
that there is danger secure yourself first before any other thing.
“On election day, do not mingle with
anybody you do not know, you would be drugged or killed. Get your own food, get
water that will carry you for 24 hours.
“Abide by the
rules of the election. Do not be drunk before and after the election. Display a
high level of patriotism and integrity. Be cautious and polite and neutral and
be very firm,” he said.
The INEC
Resident Electoral Commissioner, Elder Aniedi Ikoiwak, appealed to the corps
members who had volunteered not to change their mind.
Political actors in the state had
engaged themselves in a war of words over today’s election.
Both parties have campaigned across
the state to convince citizens to vote for their candidates. Some of their
campaign slogans have been dotted with hate speeches - a development that
overheated the polity and sent jitters down the spine of the electorate.
The
Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris was in Port Harcourt on
Thursday to address the police personnel deployed to the state on the need to
maintain neutrality throughout the period.
Source:Daily Trust
Tags
Politics