Killings in two areas in Rivers State dampened turnout for the governorship and State House of Assembly elections in some parts of the state on this Saturday.
At Elele Alimini in Emohua Local Government Area, electoral officers had refused to leave the RAC Centre because of threats from some people in the area over the alleged killing of four persons on the even of the election.
It’s a similar story in Andoni Local Government Area, where a former government Chairman, Emilia Nte, was shot and taken away in her car as she traveled home from Port Harcourt on Friday. Monwan Etete, another former chairman of the local government and his brother were killed during the presidential and National Assembly elections.
In Eleme Local Government Area, materials in some units in Akpajo and Agbonchia wards were snatched.
There were reports of hijack of materials in Ward 9, Okujagu in Okrika Local Government Area. The chairman of local government, Philemon Iworima Kingoli, who confirmed the hijack of the materials, said the materials were hijacked by the gunboat stationed between Kalio and Abuloma.
Similarly, in Akuku Toru Local Government Area, materials were hijacked at Ward 12, Unit 5.
Turnout was generally low at Abonnema, where more than 15 people were killed during the Presidential and National Assembly elections. The factional governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dumo Lulu-Briggs, who confirmed the hijack, however said voting was peaceful in Abonnema where he had voted.
Election did not take place in the presidential and National Assembly elections in Akuku Toru local government following a gun duel between political thugs and soldiers.
In Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, Felix Obuah, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State said he had voted and that the atmosphere was peaceful and calm.
At Ward 1, Unit 2 Bonny Local Government Area, the card reader could not capture the fingerprints of very old voters that turned up.
Tension in Abua between supporters of the two main political parties stalemated issues at the local government office of INEC and electoral officers could not move materials out of the safety of the INEC office.
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