Bloody Monday: Rivers PDP calls for arrest of Tonye Cole

The Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called for the arrest of the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Tonye Cole.

The Publicity Secretary of the party, Sydney Gbara, made the call while speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Monday, April 3, after a bloody clash between supporters of the APC and PDP.

Recall that Motorists were stranded on Monday, as the major highway connecting several parts of Rivers State was barricaded by protesters loyal to the PDP and APC over the inspection of election materials.

Africa Update reports that the gridlock which lasted for several hours was caused when protesters blocked all sections of the Port Harcourt-Aba express road leading to the state office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

Sadly, People sustainable injuries as they ran to safety, when Gunshots were fired. PDP members in the state were demanding for the Certified True Copy of the results that declared the party’s Governorship candidate Siminalayi Fubara, winner of the election on March 18.

They also demanded that INEC does not allow just one political party to inspect electoral materials, but that such inspection should be done jointly.

One of the leaders of the protesters, Edison Ehie, who is the leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, said their mandates were freely given to them by Rivers people and vowed to protect it.

Ehie said “We are here to peacefully protest at the INEC office in Port Harcourt. We hear that the opposition has refused to accept defeat as usual.

“Election was conducted peacefully. And PDP Rivers State won overwhelmingly, 23/23. It is clear the evidence is there, but on credible intelligence, they have gathered again in connivance with some security agents and a few INEC officials, to concoct the result sheets, with the ambition of rubbing off on the victory and mandate given to us by Rivers people.

“Therefore, we have come to the INEC office in our numbers to say we want the Certified True Copies of all results sheets, as required by law, to be given to us.

“Secondly, we are demanding that any inspection of electoral material and result sheets must be done jointly by us, APC, Labour Party, and any opposition party. We will not accept any inspection where they will go into the INEC office to inspect without us; they have the right to inspect, and we also have the right to inspect, so it must be done jointly.

Also speaking to Journalists during the protest, the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Dr Samuel Nwanosike urged INEC to be transparent by allowing all political parties inspect the materials together.

Meanwhile, Africa Update gathered that Cole had returned to the INEC office on Monday to collect the CTC of the results, after his initial visit on Friday .