PDP alleges plot to stop Rivers poll results collation | Nairalaw

The Peoples Democratic Party on Friday alleged that it had
uncovered a plot by the All Progressives Congress to create
confusion in Rivers State in order to scuttle the collation of the
remaining results of the March 9 governorship election in the
state.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, in a
statement also alleged that the plot was aimed at stopping the
Independent National Electoral Commission from declaring Governor
Nyesom Wike as the winner of the election.

The statement said, “In order to achieve this ignoble plot, the
APC has conspired with certain compromised security officials to be
bandying a phantom security report in Rivers State for the
execution of their ugly plan.

“The PDP is not unaware of pressure being put on certain
security heads particularly, the Department of State Services, by
the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, to stop the
collation of results.”

The statement added, “The PDP therefore cautions the APC and
their co-travellers to desist from any act aimed at scuttling the
scheduled collation of results, which figures, confirming Governor
Nyesom Wike’s victory, are known to all.”

Meanwhile, the APC on Friday alleged that INEC had declared PDP
candidates the winners of the governorship and House of Assembly
elections.

The party, which lost its bid to take part in the polls,
following a Supreme Court judgment, claimed the commission had
prepared certificates of return for PDP candidates “even before the
conclusion of the governorship and State House of Assembly
elections which it suspended in Rivers State”.

The Director (Strategic Communications) for Tonye Cole Campaign
Organisation, Prince Tonye Princewill, made the allegation in a
statement.

But the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi,
described the allegation as unfounded.

Princewill said, “The commission prepared their certificates of
return, including that of Nyesom Wike, inside sources have
revealed.

“The certificates, which have the name of the (INEC) National
Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, are reportedly in the custody of the
Resident Electoral Commissioner, Obo Effanga, who it was also
alleged, was the mastermind behind the
certificates-before-election-results deal with PDP.

“Though the electoral umpire had suspended the Rivers elections
via a statement on March 10, 2019, the certificates bear dates
later than the April 15 date INEC said collated results would be
declared. In its latest press statement on the election saga in
Rivers State, INEC gave April 19 as the date that certificates of
return will be issued to winners.”

But Oyekanmi said, “I have also seen images of the so-called
certificates of return on the social media, but they are fake.
Every authentic certificate of return duly issued by INEC is signed
by the INEC chairman.”