Rivers rerun: PDP rejects Magnus Abe’s election as senator

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State on Monday condemned the role military and security agencies played in the Rivers legislative rerun polls.
It alleged that they helped the All Progressives Congress, APC, manipulate the exercise held across a total of 21 constituencies over the weekend.
“Army, SARS, are APC thugs in military uniform unleashed terror on the people,” the party said in a statement by the state chairman, Felix Obuah.
The PDP dropped the blistering remark just as it said there was no election in Rivers South East senatorial district, thereby rejecting the declaration of Magnus Abe of the APC as winner of the district by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
It also rejected other APC candidates returned winners in the constituencies within the Rivers South East district.
APC won Gokana/Khana federal constituency and Tai/Oyigbo/Eleme federal constituency elections. APC also won Khana 2 and Gokana state. The four constituencies are within Rivers South East senatorial district clinched by Mr. Abe.
But the PDP said it “it vehemently rejects the results as announced by the presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declaring APC candidates Magnus Abe, Barry Mpigi, Friday Nke-Ee, Innocent Barikor and others winners of their respective offices in Rivers South East Senatorial District.
“The PDP challenged the APC, INEC, Army, Police or other security agencies to show proof that there was election in the zone, adding that whoever lays claim to results in the area or claims that election took place is a criminal.
“What happened on Saturday, December 10, 2016 was nothing short of war declared on the people of the Rivers South East by Magnus Abe, Barry Mpigi, Army, SARS, Policemen and APC thugs dressed in Army uniform.”
The party accused the APC, security officials and INEC of manipulating results in Ogoni area of the senatorial district.
The rejection of Mr. Abe’s victory by the PDP came barely 24 hours after the Senator-elect urged the party to accept his election.
He said, “I want to also say that Rivers State has suffered enough and that it is time for us to bring this contest to an end.”
Meanwhile, the army and the police have denied taking sides with APC in the elections. But observer groups and residents accused the military and security bodies of professional misconduct during the elections.