Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers has urged the Independent
\nNational Electoral Commission ( INEC) to declare\u00a0 all verifiable results
\nof the Rivers State Governorship Election of March 9, 2019 on units and
\nward basis.
\nThe Rivers Traditional Rulers stated that only compromised results should
\nbe discountenanced.
\nThe Traditional Rulers made their position known in a press conference
\naddressed by their Chairman,\u00a0 the Amayanabo of Opobo, King Douglas
\nDandeson Jaja.
\n“We urge INEC to declare all verifiable results and immediately look into
\nonly compromised results on units and wards basis, where boxes were
\nsnatched by thugs or military personnel.
\n“We cannot go through\u00a0 round of elections at a later date. INEC must
\nensure that collated results are declared\u00a0 and not tampered with by third
\nparties “.
\nThey expressed disappointment with the alleged involvement of the military
\nand SARS personnel in the direct process of the 2019 elections in Rivers
\nState.
\nThey said: “What we have today is a few Government appointees using
\nFederal apparatus including men in uniform to cause chaos and breakdown of
\nlaw and order.
\n“Our people who have attempted\u00a0 to resist such illegality have either been
\narrested or dealt with extra judicially “.
\nThey regretted that Rivers communities have been militarised , with
\ninnocent people harrassed,\u00a0 arrested and detained.
\n“We are sad to note that in many kingdoms and communities,\u00a0 the uniformed
\nor military men were actively involved in giving cover to politicians and
\ntheir thugs who are carting ballot boxes and result sheets.
\n“There are also allegations that some of these uniformed personnel are
\n‘fake soldiers ‘ but the real soldiers have not arrested any of\u00a0 the so
\ncalled fake soldiers involved\u00a0 in these dastardly acts.
\n“The Army has also come out on AIT today, 11th March, 2019 to state that
\nthe people in Army uniforms are fake. So , why are they not being arrested
\nif they are thugs in military\u00a0 uniforms”, they said.
\nThe described as deafening the silence of the National Peace Committee
\nheaded by General Abdulsalami Abubakar.\u00a0 They wondered why the committee
\nhas failed to call all parties and the military to order for breaching the
\npeace.
\nThey said that parties cannot\u00a0 be asked to accept results of elections
\nthat are\u00a0 brazenly rigged , manipulated and falsified in an atmosphere of
\nIntimidation and violence.
\n“Last time we checked,\u00a0 the President and Commander in Chief has not given
\nany such order, neither has the Chief of Army Staff or Chief of Air Staff
\nordered the full participation of the military in the Electoral Process in
\nour various kingdoms.
\n“So who has deployed the military,\u00a0 Army and Air Force in this number,
\neven assaulting officials of INEC and taking over of premises when they
\nwere not invited by INEC “, the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers
\nnoted.
\nThey wondered how come the military took over the Rivers State INEC
\nHeadquarters and even fought the police and attempted hijacking results
\nfrom Local Government Areas.
\n“We need peace in Rivers State.\u00a0 The people’s\u00a0 will must prevail.\u00a0 The
\nmilitary must remove itself from directly participating in our elections.
\n“The Nigerian Army must immediately identify and arrest the so called
\npolitical thugs in military uniforms”, they said.
\nThe Traditional Rulers said that politicians who collaborated\u00a0 with the
\nmilitary or thugs in military uniforms would be cursed traditionally.
\nThey called on the Federal Government and the International Community to
\ncome to the aid of Rivers people .
\nPicture 1: Chairman of Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers,\u00a0 King
\nDouglas Dandeson Jaja (r) and the Amayanabo of Abonnema,\u00a0 King Disrael
\nBob-Manuel during a press conference on the Rivers State Governorship
\nElection<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) to declare\u00a0 all verifiable results of the Rivers State Governorship Election of March 9, 2019…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":65412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n