#NigeriaDecides2023: Labour Party Calls For Cancellation Of Election Results In Rivers
The National Chairman of Labour Party, Barr. Julius Abure, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel all unverified election results in Rivers State, describing the process as not only fraudulent but also fell below expectations.
Abure made the call in statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Sunday, expressing shock by the reports of incidents of thuggery and attacks unleashed by agents allegedly working for the state government across various polling units in the state.
He said: “The leadership of the Labour Party is shocked by the revelations emanating from Rivers state after the presidential and national assembly elections which held on Saturday; where thugs believed to be agents of the state government invaded various polling units and collation centres, took away election materials including the results sheets, manipulated the BVAS machines and uploaded fake results in to the Central portal.
Abure noted that the party took particular note of incidences in places like Obio/Akpor, Khana, Eleme, Obigbo, Rumukoro and several other areas where Labour Party was clearly leading in virtually all the polling units with very wide margins.
According to him, “Governor Nyesom Wike, faced with stark reality of defeat even in the polling units in his compound in Worji, where LP scored 323 votes against APC and PDP’s 5 and 2 votes respectively, he used the soldiers and police to intimidate, harassed and snatched ballot papers.
“Nigerians went into this election based on the assurances by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC that the deployment of BVAS was a perfect antidote to electoral malpractices in Nigeria, but what transpired across Nigeria, if allowed to stand is purely a betrayal of trust by millions of Nigerians on INEC.
“INEC’s staff were intimidated by these thugs in connivance with the military personnel and police officers who were deployed to protect them, into doing their bidding and were forced to manipulate the BVAS, being afraid of the consequences of their refusal. Some of these manipulations happened way into late in the night. We demand that INEC investigate these atrocities against Nigerian voters by the political class.
“We are therefore asking that INEC should rise to the occasion and cancel all the unverified and manipulated results arising from the presidential and national assembly elections in parts of Rivers state particularly in places like Obio/Akpor, Khana, Eleme, Obigbo and Rumukoro amongst others.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman, Contact and Mobilisation/Special Duties of Labour Party and Head of Grassroots Mobilisation of the Obi-Datti 2023 Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Veteran Olawale Okunniyi has tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to urgently move to check the growing incidents of non-uploading of elections results for collation, especially in Lagos and its environs due to unfounded excuses from compromised INEC officials that BVAS has suddenly stopped functioning for transmission and collation results.
Chief Okunniyi, who gave the charge in a statement made available to newsmen, also frowned at the ongoing disruptions of the collation of elections results and violence in Lagos State.
According to him, “as reports from our men and women on the field indicate violence and assault of Labour Party Agents and Representatives, among who are renowned political economist and Convener of the Big Tent, Prof. Pat Utomi at collation centres in Lagos with sporadic and heavy shooting to prevent collation of results of polling units, where the ruling APC lost in the elections.
“We, therefore, call on Nigerian Security Forces to urgently move to neutralise this ongoing thuggery and violence in most parts of Lagos, including Eti Osa, Ejigbo, Ishaga and Oshodi areas, among others, where thugs are currently having a field day assaulting and holding electoral officials and Labour Party representatives hostage.
“Intelligence report at our disposal also reveals the plot of some INEC officials and political Chieftains to trade off the votes of the Labour Party and Peter Obi in one of the South-South States. INEC officials concerned in this conspiratorial merchandising are hereby warned to immediately disengage from this fraudulent act in other not to incur the wrath of angry Nigerians
