Following a protest by members of the Peoples Democratic Party, heavily armed policemen blocked the entrance to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday.
Over 1000 members of the party and supporters stormed the INEC office on Aba Road in Port Harcourt, demanding that the commission allow political parties to inspect election materials jointly ahead of the election petitions tribunal sitting.
To prevent any damage to the INEC office, armed operatives including police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps stationed patrol vehicles in front of it.
The protest shut down vehicular traffic from the Waterlines area to the GRA area of Aba Road in the metropolis.
The protesters marched through Aba Road displaying placards with several inscriptions such as, “Police have no power under the Electoral Act to declare results. We will resist it.”, “The joint inspection of materials is our right. We are ready,” among others.
Following the protest, commuters were seen trekking long distances to get to their destinations, while commercial vehicles and private cars made a detour.
Speaking, the chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state, Dr. Samhel Nwanosike, said the inspection must be done by all parties involved.
Nwanosike stated, “We are putting other political parties on notice. Rivers people have decided to keep watch n this INEC headquarters.
“We are aware that results have been uploaded in IREV over 95 percent. We are aware that the Certified True Copies of all the pilling unit result sheets is in INEC.
“Like they did in 2019 when policemen were writing a different result sheets to smuggle into INEC offices.
“Never again will it happen. We will not leave this place. We will be here everyday until the right thing is done.”
He added, “It must be a joint inspection because a man who is coming to equity must come with clean hands.
“Inspection must be done jointly.so that we watch ea h other. We have wom election and the world has seen it and we will defend it with our blood.”
Recall that last Friday, the state governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Tonye Cole, had led a protect to the INEC office demanding the release of CTC documents of the March 18 election.
The situation has created tension in the metropolis, as there are fears that the ruling PDP and the main opposition in the state the APC may clash anytime soon.
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