Polls in Rivers, a Sham, Says Amaechi
The Rivers State Governor and Director-General of Buhari Campaign Organisation, Rotimi Amaechi, has described Saturday’s Governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state as a sham.
Amaechi said this while fielding questions from journalists after casting his vote at Ward 8, Unit 14, Ubima in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
He said the elections witnessed thuggery and snatching of ballot boxes in most parts of the state.
The governor said: “I think it is a sham. You noticed what happened in Omagwa, what happened was that somebody called me and said they were being attacked at a particular polling booth and I went there, the thugs were overwhelming, until another group of soldiers came to dislodge them.
“Don’t forget that the report was that our people were being attacked, so I came to rescue the people who were being attacked. When we got here, you saw the thugs, so how do you stabilise the system when, already the system has been taken over by thugs?” he added.
He noted that the Nigerian Police failed in their responsibility to the people to provide peaceful atmosphere for the electoral process.
“I think there must have been an arrangement between the Police and the PDP for the state to be overrun by thugs and the funniest part is that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) promised us over 2,800 mobile policemen. What you see is just one Deputy Commissioner of Police, John Amadi, orchestrating connivance with the PDP to orchestrate all these violence against APC members and Rivers people.
“Yesterday, (Friday), Mr. President (Goodluck Jonathan) withdrew the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Tunde Ogunsakin and ordered him to go to Calabar, just because he arrested a DPO, who took out four wards result sheets and gave to militants working for the PDP”, the governor alleged.
