Atiku wins in Rivers as collation ends in chaos

Collation of results for the presidential election in Rivers State almost ended in chaos over rejection of results from five local government areas.But for the swift intervention of security personnel deployed to INEC’s Office in Port Harcourt, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would have snatched the results from Collation Officer, Professor Enefiok Essien.

After several hours of meeting, Essien arrived the old collation hall to announce the results.He explained that the valid votes cast were 642,165; rejected votes (24,420), total votes cast came to 666,585, saying APC polled 150,710 votes, while PDP received 473,971 to emerge winner in the state.

Crisis however, erupted when Essien announced that the result for Emohua Local Government Area was rejected because ward collation officers and INEC electoral officer claimed that there was no collation of results. Essien also explained that there was no result from Ikwerre Local Government Area because there was no collation as soldiers held electoral officers and other INEC staff hostage.He said elections could not hold in Bonny and Akuku-Toru councils due to disturbances and carting away of election materials.

Also, there were no results for Okrika and Ahoada West councils, as military officers allegedly disrupted the collation process.An agent of APC, Sampson Ngerebara, said it was wrong for Essien to refuse to include the result from Emohua, saying: “If you want to make yourself the tribunal, sit now and start to investigate the results,” he said.Details of the results, however, revealed that of the 23 councils in the state, Atiku won 14, while President Muhammadu Buhari won three after Emohua was removed.

Meanwhile, PDP candidate for Isoko Federal Constituency and Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Leo Okuweh Ogor, has been declared winner for the fifth time.He was declared winner at Oleh, Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State. Ogor polled 34,000 votes to defeat Joel Onowakpor-Thomas of the APC, who scored 23,553 votes.

Announcing the results, INEC Officer, Dr. Edwin Asikaoh, said the election was free and fair.Reacting, Ogor said: “We thank God for the victory and we dedicate it to the good people of Isoko Nation for entrusting us yet again with their mandate for the fifth term.”He noted that he was humbled by the result and commended Isoko people for their support.

But in a swift reaction, Director General of Onowakpor-Thomas Campaign, Silas Bowue, protested against the results, saying the declaration was illegal and inconsistent with provisions of the Electoral Act. Meanwhile, James Manager of PDP has been declared winner of Delta South Senatorial seat. He scored 258,812 votes to defeat his closet rival, APC’s Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, a former governor of the state, who scored 125,776 votes.