Tonye Cole seeks cancellation of Rivers election over violence, rigging
…alleges 11 deaths in poll
Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has called for outright cancellation of the 2023 election in the state over alleged widespread violence and malpractices.
He condemn what he described as ‘blatant hijack, and announcement of rigged results’ with the imposition of the Peoples Democratic Party candidates as Governor and House of Assembly members across the 23 local government areas of the state.
Cole while briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt, the state capital on Tuesday.
While noting that elections are meant to reflect the peoples will, he said what took place in the last two elections wers a rape of democracy.
He stayed, “Law abiding citizens were subjected to flogging, verbal abuse, and threat to life for choosing to vote APC. People were told to vote for PDP and nothing else. This is not democracy.”
Cole stated the APC ensured that its campaigns.were issue based, but said the PDP in a bid to secure a stolen mandate, aggressively intimidated the non-indigenes in the State leading to apathy and low voter turnout.
“Those who braved the threats to turn up at the polling units were subjected to flogging in some cases and vote buying in many others.
“As soon as elections ended and votes counted, an obviously well planned and coordinated armed hijack of election materials, as well as electoral officers statewide began. No local government
was spared.
“That the shameful act of hijack of materials and personnel was done with the active participation of some bad eggs in the Nigeria Police Force is beyond understanding,” he alleged.
Continuing, he said ,” To think that up to 11 lives have been lost in this charade, including a youth corper serving on national duty as an INEC adhoc staff in Abua/Odual, is depressing.
“One life lost is one too many. No one deserved to die.
“The Rivers State PDP, led by the state Governor, kept to his promise of crushing the opposition during the elections. Hon.
Charles Anyanwu and Emeka Edeh, both House of Assembly candidates were arrested and detained in police custody on the day of their election while Hon. Napoleon Ukalikpe was kidnapped.
“This followed a pattern established in the National Assembly Election when Hon. Ephraim Nwuzi was arrested, detained, and charged to court.
“He is still locked up as we speak. These are but a few of the many others likewise put on a wanted list by the Governor and arrested.
“This was not an election, but a thievery and imposition by Governor Wike, aided by INEC and some men of the Nigerian
Police Force.
“How very obviously mutilated result sheets can be accepted in wholesale volumes, with figures at variance with unit results in the possession of our agents across all LGAs is very frightening.
“We therefore challenge the demanding an immediate cancellation of the elections.
“We will use outcome of this exercise and are all avenues provided by
the law to ensure the people of Rivers State get what they deserve,” Cole stated.
But in a swift reaction, the Director, Publicity and Communications, Rivers State PDP Campaign Council, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke said Cole’s call for cancellation of the election is misplaced.
Nwuke stated,’ Nwuke said,” People should learn to be good sportsmen by congratulating those who have won. In the future it might be your turn to win. Who knows?
“I think we have a democracy that is evolving and collectvuely all of us are working towards ensurng that we have a stable democracy in Nigeria.
‘There.was no way Tonye Cole or anyone else would have won this election. We have a track record, we have history on our side. And the people have spoken through their votes.”
He further said, “So, i don’t know where INEC is not good, Police is not good, PDP and everybody is not good, except the APC. It doesn’t makes sense at all.”
Nwuke urged Cole and his party to accept defeat in god faith and then go about his normal business and then think about leading an opposition.
“You don’t d one short thing run away, go back to Lagos. Thereafter you came back and you think yu will win an election. It doesn’t work like that,” Nwuke stated.
