The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency rerun supplementary elections.
The INEC’s Returning Officer, Prof. Olushola Omotao, who declared the result at its headquarters in Port Harcourt said the PDP candidate, Chief Jerome Eke polled 15,221 votes to defeat his APC counterpart, Ogbonna Nwuke who got a paltry 6,220 votes.
For the Etche State Constituency 2, the Returning Officer, Oluwatosin Odusonya announced that the PDP candidate, Tonye Ejiogu polled 4,162 votes to beat his APC counterpart who polled 1,618 votes.
INEC’s decision to announce the results at its Port Harcourt office rather than in Okehi, The Tide reliably gathered, followed tension said to have been built up and the need to clarify some legal issues which arose as a result of cancelled areas.
The election is the conclusion of the 2015 general elections to fill up Etche, State constituency 11 and Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency seats.
Until last Saturday, elections into the legislative seats were postponed indefinitely following the violence that characterised the 2015 polls in the area.
The supplementary election was generally peaceful but apathetic as the electorate, most of whom are farmers had gone to the farm, as farming appears to be the common occupation of the area.
The defeated candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency, Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke and the lawmaker representing Etche State Constituency 1 in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Iroanya Opuru, had both expressed joy at the peaceful and non-violent atmosphere in the area, just as the PDP House of Representatives candidate, Chief Jerome Eke refused to speak to journalists when contacted in Ndashi, his community, saying, “I am tensed up”.
However, at Obite Ward 10, Unit 3, an attempt by some hoodlums to snatch a bag containing electoral materials from INEC officials was resisted by men of the Nigerian police.
An electoral official who refused to disclose her name, said that the election was peaceful in the unit until “some thugs rushed and we quickly packed all the materials in a bag, just as the votes were about to be counted”.
“But they struggled the bag with us and took it away. Fortunately, the Police intervened and rescued  the bag from them, gave it back to us and escorted us to INEC office in the area,” she further stated.
Meanwhile, soldiers from  6 Division, Nigerian Army on Operation SAFE CONDUCT II  and combined security agencies deployed to monitor the supplementary and conclusion of State and National Assembly elections in Etche and Omuma Federal Constituency arrested about 58 youths suspected to be political thugs.
The suspects were arrested at Ulakwo Ward 13 in Etche Local Government Area in Rivers State.
The Tide gathered that the troops over-powered and arrested the youths said to have allegedly invaded the local government area while the rerun election was on going.
It was also gathered that the Publicity Secretary of the  PDP in Rivers State and  former Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Ikwerre Local Government Council,Mr Samuel Nwanosike, former Caretaker Committee Chairman of Akuku Toru, Roland Sekibo, Odiari Princewill and an unidentified PDP member were arrested.
The suspects who were said to have been arrested from different units of the wards are still being held by the men of the Nigerian Army and the police, as at the time of this report.
This development came even when Etche and in particular the Ulakwo residence of  PDP chieftain, Prince Emma Anyanwu were highly militarised and barricaded; an unfortunate situation that forced Emma Anyanwu to remain indoors throughout the duration of the election to avoid possible altercation and arrest.
Speaking to journalists in Ulakwo, the Acting  Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Ahmed Magaji confirmed that some hoodlums were arrested and some dangerous items recovered from them.
Magaji explained that investigation is still going on and until that is done, he would make no comments.
Reacting to the incident, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Rivers State, Elder Aniedi Ikoiwak said the election was peaceful in most of the areas visited.
Ikoiwak who refused to comment on those arrested stated that he was concerned with the conduct of the elections, stressing that the security agencies would handle and investigate those arrested for alleged election malpractices.
According to him, “the commission was saddled with the responsibility of conducting election; the issue of electoral violence should be best considered and handled by the security agencies”.
Similarly, The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) has won the Etche/ Omuma Federal Constituency after INEC Returning Officer, Prof Shola Omotola completed the collation of results at the Collation Centre in Okehi.
With the results collated from the supplementary elections of February 25, 2017 and rerun elections of December 10, 2016, Chief Jerome Eke of the PDP defeated Mr Ogbonna Nwuke of the APC.
Also, the Tony Ejiogu of the Peoples Democratic Party defeated his closest challenger, Mr Golden of the APC.
For the Etche/ Omuma Federal Constituency, Returning Officer, Prof Shola Omotola announced that APC polled 6, 220 votes while PDP polled 15, 221 votes.
For the Etche State Constituency 2, Returning Officer, Oluwatosin Odusonya announced that APC scored 1,618 votes while PDP polled 4,162 votes.
As the two INEC’s Returning Officers for the Etche/ Omuma Federal Constituency, Prof Shola Omotola and Etche Constituency 2, Oluwatosin Odusonya were about to declare the PDP winner, military personnel at the Collation Centre brought a phone to them, claiming that the call was from the National Commissioner of INEC in charge of the election.667^n
Upon receiving the call, INEC’s Returning Officer for Etche/ OmumaFederal Constituency, Prof Shola Omotola stated that all collated results should be moved to the Port Harcourt office of INEC.
Soldiers of the Nigerian Army who stopped the declaration in Okehi moved the collated results alongside party agents and political leaders to Port Harcourt. They were joined by PDP leaders led by Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and the APC candidate for Etche/ Omuma Federal Constituency, Mr Ogbonna Nwuke.
At the headquarters, leaders of the two parties insisted that the two INEC’s Returning Officers publicly announce collated results to the media and party agents present.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom  Wike condemned the act of trying to subvert the will of the people Rivers State through INEC result manipulation, backed by reckless security agencies.
He said Rivers people would continue to resist all fraudulent attempts to manipulate election results. He declared that elections can only be won at the polling units and not through the swapping of result sheets by security agencies and INEC.
In another development, the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has hailed the uncommon courage of members of the party and the good people of Etche and Omuma, that ensured victory for the PDP during Saturday’s re-run legislative elections in the area, even in the face of harassment, intimidation, attacks, maiming and arrests of innocent PDP members by men of the Nigerian Army and police
The PDP Chairman, Bro Felix Obuah in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on media and Publicity, Jerry Needam described the interference and involvement of the military and men of the Nigerian Police in electoral process as worrisome, condemnable, saying, it portends grave danger for Nigeria’s democracy.
He regretted that soldiers and police men deployed to maintain peace and security in Etche invaded collation centres to stop announcement of results, same evil and wicked machinations adopted in Rivers South East Senatorial District that gave a purported victory to Mr Magnus Abe of the All Progressives Congress, APC. But, they were however, resisted by the good people of Etche.
Obuah congratulated candidates of the PDP, Chief Jerome Eke, Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency and Hon Tony Ejiogu, Etche State Constituency 2 for emerging victorious and the good people of Etche/Omuma for voting for the PDP.
He described the arrest of its State Publicity Secretary, Hon Samuel Nwanosike, Hon Rowland Sekibo and other chaiftains of the PDP who were on a legal election duty as provocative, illegal, condemnable and acting out the script of a particular leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Victor Tew