APC protest as INEC declares PDP winner of federal, state legislative elections in Rivers

The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the result of Saturday’s rerun elections in Etche Local Government Area of the oil rich state.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared Jerome Eke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the concluding election into Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency in Rivers.

Prof. Jeremiah Sola-Omotola, the Returning Officer, made the declaration at INEC office in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

He said that the Eke secured 15,221 votes to defeat Ogbonna Nwuke of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who got 6,220 votes. The PDP also won the Etche State Constituency II election with 4,162 votes, while the APC garnered 1,618 votes.

The Returning Officer for the election, Olatubosun Odusanya, made the announcement at INEC office in Port Harcourt.

However the APC in Rivers has called on INEC not to contradict itself in announcing the results of Etche/Omuma elections.

Chris Finebone, the state Publicity Secretary of the party, made the call in a statement made available to National Daily on Sunday in Port Harcourt.

He said that the elections for Etche State Constituency and Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency were formally declared inconclusive by the Returning Officers, Prof. Olatunbosun Odusanya and Prof. Omotola respectively at Okehi on Saturday.

“’The Returning Officers subsequently announced that the conclusion of the process will take place today (Sunday) or on Monday,” the statement said.

Finebone said the party said was taken aback by signals indicating that Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, the National Electoral Commissioner in charge of Rivers, ordered that the results of the inconclusive elections should be announced.

He reminded INEC that in line with the relevant sections of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), only the returning Officers were empowered to announce results of elections.

“The APC strongly urges INEC not to go ahead to declare results for elections that it had earlier announced as inconclusive.

“Doing so will signpost gross violation of its own rules and demonstrate the height of inconsistency and illegality on the part of INEC.

“We urge INEC to proceed to conclude the elections without further delay before declaring the results accordingly,” the statement said.