Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has alleged that the police in the state were planning to doctor the statements of persons arrested in Tai Local Government Area of the state during Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections.
“Information just reaching us indicates that the Police in Rivers State want to doctor the statements of about 110 persons arrested for electoral offences and crimes in Tai Local Government of Rivers State during Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections,” a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, David Iyofor, said.
“The persons arrested include 75 National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, members who are adhoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. They were arrested with the electoral materials of about 9 wards by Mopol 56 in Rivers State.
“They were caught thumb-printing ballot papers for a major political party candidates in the private residence of the party chieftain in Tai.
“We have been reliably informed that the police now want to doctor their statements, in a bid to exonerate the culprits caught thumb-printing ballot papers for the political party in Tai, so that the culprits can be subsequently released,” the governor added.
Elections in Rivers State was marred with violence, rigging and manipulations, according to the African Centre for Leadership Strategies and Development. The group has therefore called for the cancellation of the exercise.
According to Humphrey Bekaren, who spoke on behalf of the group, no voting took place in some centres they visited in Port Harcourt.
“We request all lovers of democracy to join us in calling for outright cancellation of the phoney elections,” he said.
by Greenstarnetwork admin..
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