Rivers governorship poll credible – INEC

INDEPENDENT National Electoral Commis­sion (INEC) has called seven witnesses to prove its claim that the conduct of the April 11 gover­norship election in Rivers State won by Gover­nor Nyesom Wike of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was peaceful, credible and in compliance with the Electoral Act.

Contrary to the position of All Progressives Con­gress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, that the poll was marred by ir­regularities and violence, the electoral body told the Justice Suleiman Ambrosa-led tribunal sitting in Abuja that relevant electoral procedures were fol­lowed before the commission declared Wike winner of the exercise.

Counsel to the INEC, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), who insisted that best practices were observed in the conduct of the Rivers governorship election, called seven witnesses, who were presiding officers in polling units in Bonny, Tai, Oyigbo and Akuku Toru local government areas.

They were serving corps members at the time the election was conducted.

In their testimonies, the witnesses, Ogechi Any­anwu, Jerry Nyikwagh, Adeyemi Saheed, Mr. Fidelis Zeribe, Ifem Charles Chidozie, Sofiri Jumbo and Onyejen Martins, confirmed that the elections were free and fair, saying nobody snatched election materials as alleged by Rivers State APC.