The electoral body, which conducts governorship and state houses of assembly elections through its Resident Electoral Commissioners in various states, dismissed the poll held in Rivers State on April 11 as a "kangaroo" exercise, with shootings and allocation of figures as well as "all kinds of impunity" taking place on the day of the poll.
INEC is the first respondent to the petition filed before the tribunal by the All Progressives Congress and its candidate in the governorship election, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, who are seeking the nullification of the election on the grounds that it was marred by violence, irregularities and electoral malpractices.
Other respondents to the petition are Governor Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party, whose declaration as the winner of the poll is being challenged by the petitioners.
INEC's representative, Charles Okoye, who heads the Election and Party Monitoring Department of the commission in Rivers State, appeared before the Justice Mohammed Ambrosa-led tribunal on Friday on subpoena, testifying that the election was conducted in an atmosphere of warfare and "militant terrorism."
The witness, who said he monitored the April 11 election alongside three national commissioners of INEC, with his monitoring teams in 19 out of the 23 local government areas of the state, also told the tribunal that the poll was characterised by large scale violence and disruption of polls.
He said, "During the monitoring exercise, what we observed was that the election was a warfare. It was a militant terrorism and also a sham, a kangaro election. It is a mockery of democracy. The election was characterised by large scale violence and disruption of polls.
"There was snatching of election materials, shooting and allocation of figures and all kinds of impunity happened at the election."
The subpoena which compelled the witness to appear before the tribunal was obtained by the petitioners.
Okoye, who was led in evidence by the petitioners' lawyer, Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), said apart from sending various teams to 19 local government areas of the state, he, along with three national commissioners of the commission, visited eight LGA's on the day of the election.
The report of the monitoring exercise, which Okoye said was co-signed by him and the three other national commissioners, was tendered and admitted by the tribunal as Exhibit A2.
The counsel for the respondents comprising INEC, Wike and PDP, said they would object to the report at the stage of final addresses because it was not front-loaded with the petition.
Okoye debunked allegation by INEC's lawyer, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), during cross-examination that the report of the monitoring exercise was his private document.
"If it is my private document, it will not be certified by INEC. The report was passed to the national headquaters," Okoye further said. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Ghen Ghen... Nullification Loading !
ReplyDeleteDs INEC Man has bn bribed by APC Cacus - Amaechi and co to say ds trash. So Prof. Jega was testifying lies? When he announced Jonathan as de winner in R/S...... I was in PH during de Elections and I voted for Jonathan and Wike after standing in a very long Que for accreditation and voting I was in Alu dere was nothing like ds trash dat ds Man is saying here.... Amaechi can not plant another apex of Impunity in R/S ..... Your testimony before de tribunal is rubbish......
ReplyDeleteYou think the testimony is rubbish? You should have asked why the tribunal allowed him to testify even with objection from counsel to INEC.
DeleteDnt talk much. Ur area might have bn cool did u go roun all the voting units in Rivers state. Let Wike reconcile with Amaechi they are brothers
DeleteGo hugge transformer
DeleteMUMU what is 'go hugge transformer' if you cant write and as well cant read properly, must you comment? Idiota, yeyenatu.
DeleteHmmmm. Is dis man saying dis on behalf of Inec? If yes, then Inec must be incompetent. If there was not an election or d election was marred by violence, y announced d winner of d said election?
ReplyDeleteExactly my arguement! Who announced a winner and who is turning around to say the election should be nullified? Rubbish of a country.
DeleteI voted for Dakuku during the election but the polling station next to mine which was at Rumukrushi was enveloped in violence and sporadic shooting that no election held. We were lucky at my polling station because it was in Shell premises
ReplyDeleteThe truth is coming out, my polling station was @ Eleme but there was no result sheets.
ReplyDeleteIf what inec official said was rubbish, how come less than 300,000 was accredited by card readers and over 1.2million votes were recorded. Judgement time is near
ReplyDeleteIf we cast back our minds to the scene when the River State Electoral Commissioner was called upon to present the result of the Presidential election, we can decipher the level of manipulation that would have taken place. International observers reported River State election especially, the Gubernatorial, as a sham. No matter how long falsehood thrives, one day, truth will overtake it. I predict that River State 2015 gubernatorial election will be nullified at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteAction film time don start, ghen ghen actor and bose don show....make we dey look.
ReplyDeleteNullify the election and conduct it 100 times,PDP will still win,APC should go and rest because they have no place in Rivers State..They just want to instigate problem again in a peaceful environment.
ReplyDeleteHehehehehe, I dey laf oo as the truth is coming out now now. This Wike, hmmm, e smart, but e mumu join am.
ReplyDeleteMost people that comment on social media lack adequate knowledge and just speak/write because they have the opportunity. Jega can not be an INEC Chairman as well be a Judge hence he referred the issue to Tribunal by advising whoever has concrete evidence to go to court. Also, all the machineries of the presidency then prevented the monitoring team's report to get to INEC national HQ and Jega in his wisdom allowed the process to flow in order to prevent war/combat as we all followed the collation process that PDP almost not willing to accept defeat. Thus, Bashir has a like mind with me. I even bet with some colleagues that River Guber Election Result will be nullified following reports from Local and International observers even though I am not an APC memeber.
ReplyDeletethere were semblance of elections in few unit in the City but in the villages, they were no elections.... Even the zone 6 Police commissioner was ordered back to Calabar by Mrs. Jonathan when he was about scuttling wike and his ballot snatching and boxes stuffing boys, In Nigeria because for the first time the opposition is so rich they can be allowed to get away with everything they are doing, Wike is not a god, simply because he is representing the interest of a group of some very greedy people does not mean if the judiciary found him wanting he should not face the law..... I am no APC, I am no politician but I read the report of the international observers particularly the American counsel General who described Rivers Election as a sham and I believe him.....We Nigerians presently stand for the truth because we have seen the difference between what we had 16 years ago and what this government has brought to the table for just 3 months.... if Wike wins fine, if the election was seen to be marred by rigging then it has to be cancelled heaven would not fall!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe waiting game, the die is cast.
ReplyDeleteIf Rivers people fail to follow the honorable part, they shall indeed will never no peace.
Other Nigerians will have peace, not only peace they will enjoy the goodies from the oil wealth. Shame on Rivers people who refuse to embrace peace a panacea for dividend of democracy. If they don't blame Hausa , Ibo or Yoruba, they blame Ikwere or Ogoni.
Me think the flaring gas over the years has destroy some part of their medullar oblongata, I am just wondering. Please correct me if you wish.