Worried by the irregularities and shooting that characterized the last Saturday April 11th, 2015 governorship/State House of Assembly elections which disenfranchise the people of Tai LGA, Rivers State especially members of the All Progressive Congress APC.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Hon. Joe Poroma has described the election as a sham.
In a chat with journalists, Hon. Poroma lamented the disenfranchise of his people and the irregularities that characterized the elections.
According to him, there was no election in “my area Unit 10 Ward 2 Kpite, Tai LGA of Rivers State. My people could not vote because there were no election materials.
The same scenario occurred in the presidential and national assembly election which prevented him and his people from participating in the poll. “My unit has not voted in the presidential elections, even as I am talking with you today, being the governorship/ State Assembly election’s, I have not seen elections materials, I don’t know which colour it is, the election never took place here”.
The Hon Commissioner who conducted journalists round the empty polling units disclosed that during presidential and National Assembly March 28 elections hoodlums suspected to be PDP thugs invaded his house, shooting sporadically and “a man was shot dead right in my house”.
He further revealed that the Saturday governorship/ State House of Assembly election witnessed shooting in Tai LGA from 10am to scare voters away but there was no casualty.
Hon. Poroma disclosed that officers from Mopol 56 in Tai LGA arrested some corpers and INEC officials who were thumb printing ballot sheets in Dr. Jacobson Nbina, a House of Representatives elected in Tai/Eleme Constituency in the platform of The people Democratic Party, PDP and took them to their office.
Hon. Poroma noted that the reason why the Peoples Democratic Party in collaboration with thugs and police to intimidate the people of Tai especially members of APC with them not to participate in the poll because they know that the Tai people are 95% in APC while the PDP is only 5% pointing out that PDP cannot win in Tai as they were few in number.
Hon. Barry Mpigi, a lawmaker representing Tai/Eleme in the Federal House of Representatives who confirmed the arrest of youth corpers and INEC officials by the Mopol 56 Tai LGA thumb printing in the House of Dr. Jacobson Nbina, condemned the entire election which he described as sham and called for its cancellation.
He advised journalists to investigate the matter at the Rivers State Police Command Moscow road Port Harcourt. When contracted the PPRO of the Rivers State Police Command, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar his office Moscow Road, on Monday, the image maker of the state command who confirmed the information referred journalists to Mopol officer in Abuja for details.
Meanwhile, Dr. Jacobson Nbina has denied thumb printing of ballot sheet by the INEC officials and youth corpers in his house.
Dr. Nbina who confirmed that the Mopol 56 officer arrested some persons who were involved in the act denied being, arrested in his house.
According to him, when received the information, they came and search for the ballot boxes but they could not see any and when they left my house, I was informed that they arrested some persons over the matter.”
In a related development, Hon. Jonah Chijor the President General of Eleme has commended INEC for the peaceful conduct of the last Saturday governorship/state Assembly elections in his area. Hon. Chijor made the remark while in a chat with journalists while casting his vote at Ward 3 Unit 2, Eleme LAG.
According to him, “my unit is peaceful but there were rumours making round the LGA that members of the People Democratic Party were writing results in their houses. He appealed to INEC officials to investigate the matter and prosecute those involve in the acts.
Similarly, HRH Emperor John Nkpee has warned youths and politicians not to disrupt the election process. Emperor Nkpee gave the warning while in a chat with journalists in his place at Eleme.
He described the 2015 election as the most expensive elections in Africa stressing that anyone who disrupted the election must be punished according to law. ###
Emeka Jilly Ejiowhor
