Rivers state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has claimed that 16 of its members were killed in various parts of the state during the just-concluded Governorship and State House of Assembly elections in the state.
State party chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, revealed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday. He said the party’s chieftain and leader of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Julius Lloyd was beating to stupor when he attempted to prevent rigging of the election in his constituency, Emohua.
Ikanya said, “Rivers people were disenfranchised as hell was let loose throughout the State, with Rivers PDP mobilising militants who went on rampage shooting, bombing and killing, sending at least nineteen (19) APC members to their early graves for attempting to prevent the rigging plot of PDP in conjunction with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and some policemen led by DCP Amadi.
“We declared unequivocally that the elections were fraught with violence and unbridled manipulation and intimidation while no voting took place in most parts of Rivers State. Hon. Chidi Lloyd the Rivers State House of Assembly Leader was beaten to stupor while attempting to prevent the rigging of the election in his constituency.”
Meanwhile, the Rivers State government has alleged that ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who were arrested by the Police after being caught thump-printing ballot papers for candidates of one of the political parties have been released from Police detention.
A statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday and signed by David Iyofor, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, said the detained INEC ad-hoc staff were released on the orders of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in-charge of Operations, Mr. John Amadi.
The statement reads in part, “Deputy Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, DCP Amadi has released Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) ad-hoc staff caught thumb-printing ballot papers for PDP candidates.
“The ad-hoc staff of INEC were arrested yesterday, one day after the gubernatorial/House of Assembly elections in a private residence in Rumueprikom, Port Harcourt thumb-printing ballot papers for Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) candidates. The INEC personnel were arrested by policemen from MOPOL 19.
“However, as the arrested INEC staff were been moved, the MOPOL team were intercepted by the Divisional Police Officer(DPO) of Rumueprikom Police Station who informed DCP Amadi. DCP Amadi came and released the arrested INEC staff. He took them to INEC office.
“It would be recalled that Rivers State Governor Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi had complained severally that DCP Amadi works for the PDP in the State. Before the elections, Governor Amaechi stated that Amadi was planted in the State by the PDP to help PDP win the general elections.”
