Result sheets ‘snatched’ in Ahoda, Etche
Kingsley Chinda, PDP agent in Rivers state, has lodged a formal complaint of ballot box snatching at INEC headquarters in Port Harcourt.
According to Chinda, result sheets were snatched at a ward in Ahoda east LGA and three wards in Etche LGA.
Election could not hold in Ward 12, Unit 1, Khana local government area, due to the hijack of electoral materials.
Wilson Akanya from Ward 8, Unit 7, Khana LGA, said there was no voting in the entire area.
“So why did they prevent us from going out to fend for ourselves?” he asks in annoyance
It’s raining in Obi Akpor but thankfully, voting is over in most parts of the local government area.
15:10
The electorate patiently await counting of votes at the voting point around Trailer Park in Eleme.
15:01
Low turnout of voters at Ward 3, Unit 10, Eleme LGA
According to @SDNNigerDelta, electoral materials arrived Ward 9, Units 12&13, in Gbe, Gokana LGA, by 1:40pm. Accreditation started by 2pm, and voting is about to commence.
14:27
Tension in the air across some parts of Gokena, Eleme and Tai LGAs
14:17
The peaceful conduct witnessed in the early hours of the Rivers legislative rerun election is fast eroding.
The security operatives cock their guns and people scuttle for safety… Three minutes later, a mobile policeman shoots into the air, an action which prompted further helter-skelter.
Sounds of gunshots in Bodo, Gokena LGA. A superior officer at the checkpoint where soldiers are stationed told his men to be at alert.
13:57
Not our drones
Austin Tam-George, Rivers commissioner for information, says the state government did not deploy drones to monitor the rerun election.
“That is a lie, we never contemplate using drones to monitor the elections, we are interested in following, casting our votes and ensuring they count.”
Security officials appear to be involved in the hijack of electoral materials
‘All of us go die here together’
Operatives of SARS and policemen involved in a shouting match at Bodo community, Gokona LGA.
“Dem give us N2million, these people wan carry am go. All of us go die here together,” a fair-skinned officer said.
“How can INEC deploy fake election materials of which we are the custodian of our materials? What happened in Ahoada-West is that some result sheets were snatched and from available report, the result sheets have been replaced,” says Nick Dazang, INEC deputy director of voter education and publicity
Operatives of the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) have clashed with youths of Beera community, also in Gokana LGA.
Operatives of the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) have clashed with youths of Beera community, also in Gokana LGA.
Operatives of the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) have clashed with youths of Beera community, also in Gokana LGA.
Outbreak of violence reported at St. Pius College, Bodo community, Gokana LGA.
Electoral materials reportedly hijacked at Ward 3, Unit 9, Bodo in Gokana LGA.
Electoral Data
12:04
Magnus Abe, APC candidate for Rivers east senatorial district has just arrived Eleme to cast his vote.
At a time like this, the plea of Chris Finebone, APC spokesperson, to Rivers electorate, comes to mind.
“People will see us as violent people, which we are not, if anything goes wrong this time. Nigerians and the world will see us as a person who cannot exercise their franchise without violence. If we continue to have violent elections, it will affect the economy of the state, as most businesses will leave and government revenue will drop,” he had said.
INEC has cancelled the election in Ward 9, Unit 3, Ogu/Bolo LGA after hoodlums made away with the result sheets.
According to @SituationRoomNg, “voters are casting their votes into sack bags in PU32/11/13/012, Ulakwo Ward, Etche LGA due to lack of ballot boxes”.
Electoral materials just arrived Ward 8, Unit 14, Ubima, Ikwerre LGA. Voting is expected to soon begin.
11:05
Voting began in some parts of Eleme about 8 minutes ago, but there is low turnout of voters, possibly because the exercise was delayed.
10:56
Voting is yet to commence in Ibubu community, Eleme LGA. Electoral materials are yet to arrive.
Unconfirmed reports have it that the youth corps members posted there may have boycotted the area over fear of violence.
10:49
Voting is yet to commence at Ward 1, Unit 4, Bonny LGA. There are allegations that the result sheet is missing.
Buguma in Asari-Toru LGA, which used to be a flashpoint, has been peaceful thus far. Momentarily, there’s no incident or report of violence in the area.
Voting ongoing in Ward 4, Units 7/8, OguBolo LGA.
Members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) were initially hesitant to participate in the election over safety concerns.
Abosede Okaku, director, corps welfare and health services, on Friday pleaded with the corp members who volunteered not to “change their mind”.
“I thank the corps members who accepted this call. I urge you not to change your mind. Nothing should make you change your mind to say, yesterday I accepted, but today I have changed my mind,” she had said.
10:04
Over 30,000 security personnel comprising the police, army, navy and other para-military agencies have been positioned in 23 local councils where the re-run elections are taking place.
09:59
At the moment, there are no reports of violence or irregularities.
09:57
The March 19 rerun election was marred by violence and electoral fraud, forcing the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the result of seven of local government councils and withhold the result of some LGAs.
09:56
927,769 voters are eligible to vote in the Rivers state legislative rerun election.
09:53
Electoral officers get to work in ward 15, unit 5, Gokana LGA.
09:45
A Hilux van conveying soldiers has just zoomed into Community Secondary School, Beera, Gokana LGA, and the officers have mounted strategic positions.
09:44
APC and PDP agents were earlier involved in a shouting match at unit 4, Ward 16, Gokana local government area. Security agents swooped in to resolve the issue.
09:43
Election materials are just being moved out of the Registration Area Center in Eleme.
09:39 Ikwerre LGA
09:32
Electoral materials yet to arrive at ward 8, unit 14, Ikwerre local government area.
09:23
Voters waiting to cast their votes in a polling unit in Onne community, Eleme local government area.
09:17
Akuk-tolu/Asari- tolu, Degema/Bonny, Okrika/Ogu/Bolo, Etche/Omuma, Ikwerre/Emohua, Khana/Gokana, Eleme/Tia/Oyigbo and Opopo/Nkoro/Andoni are the eight federal constituencies that are up for grabs while the state constituencies are Eleme, Gokana, Asari-Tolu 1, Asari-Tolu 2, Andoni, Khana 2, Etche 2, Ikwerre, Bonny and Degema.
09:12
There are 16 polling units in Community Secondary School, Beera, Gokana Local Government Area, and there is a large turnout of voters in all the units.
09:11
George Taiwo is in Rivers to give frequent updates on the voting pattern and all you need to know.
09:09
The elections will take place across 21 constituencies which include three senatorial districts; eight federal constituencies; and 10 state constituencies.
09:06 Rivers rerun election
The contentious battle between APC and PDP for Rivers state legislative seats will play out today. Rivers electorate in 1,840 polling units in the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) will come out to vote their candidates of choice.