The 2023 presidential election in Nigeria was held on February 25 across all 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory.
However, the process was not without irregularities including attacks by party thugs nationwide.
As collation is being rounded up, the State Collation Officer for the Presidential election (SCOPs) in Rivers State, Professor Charles Adias, is alleging that there is a threat to his life by unnamed party supporters.
He has therefore adjourned the collation of results for February 25, 2023 election in the state.
The official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who is also the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Otueke announced the adjournment on Tuesday morning.
After expressing his reason, the Commissioner of Police of the Presidential Election in Rivers, Aderemi Adeoye, appealed to the SCOPs to reveal the names of those threatening his life.
The police commissioner urged him to continue the process, promising to provide security for him and his family during and after the collation process.
Now, the results from 21 local government areas have been collated.
Results are expected from the Obio-Akpor and Degema local government areas of the state.
These two LGAs are those of Governor Nyesom Wike and his Deputy, Ipalibo Banigo. While Wike hails from Obio-Akpor, his Deputy is from Degema LGA.
Violence In Wike’s Polling Unit
In a report by Punch, at about 5:00PM on Saturday, a group of unidentified men dressed in black arrived at Wike’s polling unit.
INEC officials and ad-hoc staff accompanied by policemen carried the voting materials at the polling unit into the vehicles.
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This happened while some voters were still in the queue and one of the men in black asked them to come to the council to cast their vote as it was getting dark, and immediately the vehicles zoomed off.
However, on visiting the Obio/Akpor Local Government headquarters, they were asked to go to the INEC office.
When contacted on the state of results from the governor’s polling unit, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Johnson Alalibo, said he was yet to hear from his officials that handled election in there.
“I am yet to receive any report from my field officers,” he said.
The police Public Relations Officer in the state, Grace Iringe-Koko, however, said she was aware of the development.
Wike Denies His Involvement
The Labour Party in Rivers claims governor Wike helped to rig the election in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, Wike claims the accusation is derived only from the wicked imagination of failed evildoers.
Wike says he “does not have a single soldier in his formal and informal entourage at any time, more so, during election time”.
The governor claims that he and his wife quietly returned to their home after voting on Saturday and never stepped out for the rest of the day.
