PHOTONEWS: Dakuku, Magnus Abe, Others Disgraced As Police Teargas Protesters

The protesters, who included the governorship candidate of the APC, as well as the candidates of the various Senatorial Districts and Federal Constituencies, arrived at the Head office of INEC as early as eight o’clock to demand the release of the materials used as had been directed by the election tribunal.

andemonium broke out at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) today in Abuja as top Rivers State All Progressives Congress
(APC) politicians were tear gassed during a protest to demand the inspection of
the electoral materials used in the state elections last April.
The protesters, who included the governorship candidate of the APC, as well as the
candidates of the various Senatorial Districts and Federal Constituencies, arrived at the
Head office of INEC as early as eight o’clock to demand the release of the materials
used as had been directed by the election tribunal.

The candidates maintained that they have written several letters to the Rivers Electoral
Commission in connection with the issue, but that the commission had refused to yield
to their request.
"We the candidates of the All Progressives Congress Rivers State do state that sequel
to the filing of our respective petitions, our lawyers proceeded to obtain from the
Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja orders for inspection of electoral materials by
forensic experts,” they said.
“Following the grant of order and were duly served on the Commission's Port Harcourt
office. Despite the said service and repeated visits and correspondences to the
Commission's but they failed and neglected. To allow the enforcement of the order of
the Tribunal and no reason have been provided for the refusal of the commission to
allow the inspection as ordered by the Tribunal."

The Chairman of the Party in River State, Ikanya Ibiamwho led the candidates of the
part said that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides only 180 days within which
an election petition shall be determined.
"Our petitions were filed on 17th and 30th of April 2015 respectively,” he
stressed. “From all indications the petitions are left with less than 3 months within
which the Petitions are to be heard on their merit ".
They expressed concern that the judgement would not be in their favour going by the
way things were goingand the body language of the electoral body, which they
complained, had shown total bias in the process that was capable of frustrating the
cause of justice.

The protesters, who insisted on seeing the Acting National Chairman of the
commission, Amina Zakari, were prevented from gaining entry into the premises of the
commission as gun-toting policemen fired tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the
angry protesters.

But the protesters who remained undaunted returned after a while and vowed not to
give in to the intimidation by the security agents. A copy of the petition jointly signed by
the candidates was presented to the Director of Security, Shetimma Ngilari, who
promised to deliver their message to the Acting Chairman.

Among the protesters were: Dakuku Peterside, Senator Magnus Abe,
Hon. Andrew Uchendu, OtelemabaGeorge, Igochukwu Aguma,
Lucy Odili and Aye Pepple.

Credit : Sahara reporters