TRIBUNAL: Wike’s election peaceful, credible —INEC

THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has told Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that the election of Governor, Nyesom Wike, was peaceful, credible and conducted in line with the Electoral Act.
Presenting its case before the Justice Suleiman Ambrosa-led tribunal sitting in Abuja, INEC claimed that relevant electoral procedures were followed before the Commission arrived at the lawful declaration of Governor Wike as the winner of the election in view of the valid votes garnered by him on April 11, 2015.

At the resumed sitting on Monday, INEC presented seven witnesses who are presiding officers in polling units spread across four local government areas. The witnesses conducted elections in Bonny LGA, Tai LGA, Oyigbo LGA and Akuku Toru LGA. They were serving Youth Corps members at the time the election was conducted.

The defence witnesses were led in evidence by the counsel to INEC, Onyechi Ikpeazu(SAN ).

In her testimony, Ogechi Anyanwu, a corps member who served as Presiding Officer Ward 8 Unit 8 of Tai Local Government Area said that elections were free and fair, claiming that nobody snatched election materials as alleged by Rivers State All Progressives Congress, APC.

The Youth Corps member claimed that there was no case of violence during the governorship election adding that as presiding officer she never participated in electoral fraud.

Another witness, Jerry Nyikwagh, who served as Presiding Officer for Ward 7, Unit 4 in Tai LGA, explained that he reverted to manual accreditation after the failure of the card readers, but first got permission from his supervisor.