Presidential election: LP members accuse me of rigging, threaten me – Rivers collation officer

Charles Adias, collation officer for the presidential election in Rivers state, says some members of the Labour Party (LP) have accused him manipulating and rigging election.

Adias, who is the vice-chancellor of the Federal University Otuoke in Bayelsa state, made this known on Monday in Port Harcourt while addressing Deinye Pepple, the LP agent.

Pepple, while making observations, had faulted some results but commended the collation officer of the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA.

“All the results he presented tallies with what I have from the polling units,” Pepple said.

In his response, Adias called the attention of Pepple to the actions of some LP members, saying he had received numerous phone calls from persons identified as the party’s supporters who accused him of election rigging.

“For the past two days, I have been receiving threats from members of your party,” Adias told the LP agent.

“Even as I am seated here, for every minute, I have received at least 10 calls from members of your party.

“My telephone number and my face has been posted on all your platforms to the extent that I am here to rig the elections against their party.

“I believe I should address you so that you can tell your members that what we do here is transparency. We do not have any regard for what has happened before here.”

Adias added that his duty as the collation officer for the presidential election in the state was to receive results from local government areas and collate them as presented.

“And this is for the parties. Ensure that if you have issues about results and votes, go back to the level of the polling units and do not come back here and transfer aggressions to members of the society that are here offering free services to this nation,” he said.

“As academics, our duties are to teach through research and development and we are called upon to serve society through community service, and this little we are doing is part of that responsibility.

“Society should accept it that way and praise us for even standing up to serve this country.”