SSS Says Thugs And Cultists Worked For PDP During Rivers Election

people were intimidated by cultists and thugs hired by the PDP to disrupt Rivers elections. Photo: wp

A State Security Service officers disclosed more scandalous details of the April 11 governorship election in Rivers state.

Godwin Mba, the SSS officer testified in the Rivers State Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja that thugs and cultists were widely used by the PDP to affect and disrupt the April 11 governorship election in Rivers state. He told the tribunal led by Justice Suleman Ambrosa that the PDP was engaged in unlawful activities working closely with criminals and known cultists in Adoni local government area from the very beginning of the election till the result announcement, trying to incite violence. Mba also testified that that criminals enjoyed impunity due to the support from the PDP, then-ruling party.

“By my own assessment, the April 11 governorship election was characterised by violence, intimidation, harassment and irregularities,” told Mba, adding that “this is so because the thugs created an atmosphere of tension and some persons who had wanted to vote stayed away, even the ad hoc staff had to run for safety.”

He told that shortly after voting started, cultist group known as Iceland hijacked electoral materials from several polls stations.

Voters were intimidated and harassed by the cultist group working for the PDP.

Benson Chukwuma, another SSS officer, confirmed that the same happened in Ogu-Bolo local government area, where unidentified criminals moving from station to station made threats to the public participating in voting. They attempted to steal result sheets succeeding in three units. The INEC and ad hoc staff were threatened and intimidated so they had to carry electoral materials to a common place. The police was helpless in this case. Similar events were happening in Asari-Toru, Opobo local government areas, among other areas during the election in Rivers state.

“In a nutshell, the election was marked by intimidation, snatching of electoral materials which did not give room to smooth conduct of the election,” told Benson Chukwuma, adding that “there was also no collation, if there was collation at all, there should be members of other political parties in attendance, but it was not so”.

Following the case at the Rivers state governorship election petition tribunal filed by the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Dakuku Peterside challenging the victory of Governor Nyesom Wike, more witnesses have again testified against the governor and his party.

The witnesses who are from the Nigerian army testified on Thursday, September 10, before the Justice Suleman Ambrosa-led tribunal insisting that the April 11 gubernatorial poll did not hold in the state as claimed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Peoples Democratic Party and Governor Wike.