The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) has won the Etche/ Omuma Federal
Constituency after INEC Returning Officer, Prof Shola Omotola completed
the collation of results at the Collation Center at Okehi.
With the results collated from the Supplementary Elections of February
25, 2017 and rerun elections of December 10, 2016, Chief Jerome Eke of
the PDP defeated Mr Ogbonna Nwuke of the APC.
Also, the Tony Ejiogu of the Peoples Democratic Party defeated his
closest challenger, Mr Golden of the APC.
For the Etche/ Omuma Federal Constituency, Returning Officer, Prof Shola
Omotola announced that APC Polled 6, 220 votes while PDP polled 15, 221
votes.
For the Etche State Constituency 2, Returning Officer, Oluwatosin Odusonya
announced that APC scored 1618 votes while PDP polled 4162 votes.
As the two INEC Returning Officers for the Etche/ Omuma Federal
Constituency, Prof Shola Omotola and Etche Constituency 2, Oluwatosin
Odusonya were about to declare the PDP winner, military personnel at
the Collation Center brought a phone to them, claiming that the call was
from the National Commissioner of INEC in charge of the election.
Upon receiving the call, INEC Returning Officer for Etche/Omuma Federal
Constituency, Prof Shola Omotola stated that all collated results should
be moved to the Port Harcourt office of INEC.
Soldiers of the Nigerian Army who stopped the declaration at Okehi moved
the collated results alongside party agents and political leaders to Port
Harcourt. They were joined by PDP leaders led by Governor Nyesom Ezenwo
Wike and the APC Candidate for Etche/ Omuma Federal Constituency, Mr
Ogbonna Nwuke.
At the headquarters, leaders of the two parties insisted that the two INEC
Returning Officers publicly announce collated results to the media and
party agents present.
After the announcement, the INEC Returning Officers handed the already
collated results to party agents.
Party leaders left INEC by 3.30am on Sunday morning, while agents and
security agencies were detailed to stay with the INEC Returning
Officers for the declaration of results by 9am on Sunday, 26th February,
2017.
The Returning Officers claimed that they were directed by the National
Commissioner not to declare PDP winner of the two elections. They
claimed that the National Commissioner said she must get clearance from
Abuja, before any further step would be taken.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike condemned the act of trying to
subvert the will of the people Rivers State through INEC Result
manipulation, backed reckless security agencies.
He said Rivers people will continue to resist all fraudulent attempts
to manipulate election results. He declared that elections can only
be won at the polling units and not through the swapping of result
sheets by security agencies and INEC.