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Rivers Guber Poll: Awara Abandons Concocted Police Results, Documents …As Ex-SARS Commander Fails To Tender Results

Published

7 years ago

September 16, 2019

An ugly drama ensued at the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal, last Saturday, as ex-Second-in-Command to the former Rivers State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Commander, ACP Akin Fakorede, SP Solomon Egba, attempted to tender concocted governorship election results.
Egba, who claimed to have been a subpoenaed witness for the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Engineer Biokpomabo Awara, could not produce an authorisation to represent the police.
Following questions raised by defendant counsels, Egba abandoned the concocted results and fled the court premises.
No attempt was made by police personnel in the court premises to arrest him.
Egba, a superintendent of police, worked with his Fakorede in the Ogoni axis during the 2019 Governorship and State House Assembly elections.
They were accused of invading the Collation Centre in Bori, where the PDP Governorship Collation Officer, Dr Ferry Gberegbe, was murdered.
After the election, Fakorede was transferred from Rivers State while Egba was transferred to the Rivers State Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) from Finima in Bonny where he was a Divisional Police Officer (DPO).
Counsels told journalists that Egba was a subpoenaed witness who came from the office of the Inspector General of Police.
Contacted, the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Nnamdi Omoni said he was not aware of any authorization for the former second-in-command to Fakorede to testify at the Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
In an interview at the tribunal, counsel to INEC, Woyike Livingstone said that the AAC counsel made an application in respect of pleaded documents, and he prayed the court to admit the documents in evidence.
Livingstone said that he raised objection praying the court to decline the application because it was caught up by the ruling of the tribunal which struck out certain paragraphs from the petition filed by the AAC Governorship Candidate, Biokpomabo Awara.
Meanwhile, indications have emerged that the Governorship Candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Engineer Biokpomabo Awara, yesterday, formally abandoned the concocted results brought in by Superintendent of Police, Solomon Egba, former second-in-command to Akin Fakorede to the Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
Awara had brought in Solomon Egba, former second-in-command to Akin Fakorede to the Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal as a subpoenaed witness to tender concocted results/documents, but counsels to the defendants opposed their admissibility because they were part of paragraphs already struck out by the tribunal.
At the resumed hearing, yesterday, counsel to Biokpomabo Awara, Mr Emenike Ebete said the AAC Governorship Candidate decided to abandon the police documents because they were of no value because they were dumped on the Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
Ebete explained, “We will not be tendering the documents brought in by the police. They are of no value to us. We hereby abandon the documents brought by the police”.
Also speaking, Counsel to the Rivers State Governor, Emmanuel Ukala, told the Governorship Candidate of the AAC that no subpoena was served on the office of the Inspector General of Police as the tribunal registry indicates.
The Governorship Candidate of AAC, Biokpomabo Awara was petitioner witness, yesterday.
He was cross examined by the counsels of the African Action Congress (AAC), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Nyesom Wike and the PDP.
The Rivers AAC Governorship Candidate admitted under cross examination that the results marked Exhibit which he tendered were not signed, without INEC official stamp, had no names of collation officers and were not signed by party agents.
He said that the said results had no authenticating features because that was how his agents received them from the field.
Under cross examination by counsel to the AAC, Henry Bello, Biokpomabo Awara admitted that other than the official INEC results he has no other results.
He said though he had no campaign rallies in any of the 23 local government areas of Rivers State, he did a few consultations in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area.
The Governorship Candidate of the AAC under Cross Examination by counsel to INEC, Steve Adehi (SAN), admitted that he did not tender all the results declared by INEC after the Rivers State Governorship Election.
He also admitted that results were declared for Obio/Akpor Local Government Area after due collation.
Awara expressed surprise that most of his agents agreed before the tribunal that the election was free and fair and conducted under a peaceful atmosphere.
He further stated that INEC has the sole responsibility to conduct, collate and declare governorship election results.
Awara said even though the state collation agent of the AAC, Chukwuenenye Kocha conceded defeat after the collation of Rivers State Governorship Election results, it was not his personal opinion.
The AAC Governorship Candidate said even though he has not spoken with his former running mate, Chief Akpo Bomba Yeeh, from affidavits and publications tendered at the tribunal, Chief Akpo Bomba Yeeh withdrew his candidacy long before the declaration of the governorship election results.
He said though he pleaded results of 15 local government areas in his petition, he tendered results of 11 local government areas.
The tribunal adjourned to today for the second petitioner, African Action Congress to open its case.

Featured

RSG Floats MNET Culture Content Promo

Published

2 days ago

November 6, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has floated a culture content platform in collaboration with digital television group, Multichoice.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Freddy Ndigbara, disclosed this after a meeting with MultiChoice Head of Content Acquisition, Don Dotun Ojon, in Port Harcourt.

He assured that content entrepreneurs and film makers would enjoy the platform by promoting culture and other contents to sell the states tourism potentials.

He said MultiChoice M-net was now open to increase its patronage for content shots on locations in Rivers State, describing the State as one that has numerous potentials for film tourism.

“We were privileged to have Don Ojon with us at the Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) at the weekend in Bonny and he saw, first hand, the numerous sites and opportunities that are open to creatives in the State. After that, we felt it was important to deepen the conversation and he obliged. This is a cheering news for the sector in the State,” he said.

Ndigbara stated that “Rivers State has many more untold stories to tell, many more contents to reel out and the assurances from the M-net Acquisition Manager is an indication that the industry in the state will soon enjoy a new lease of life”.

The Permanent Secretary thanked Ojon for the visit and assured that creatives in the State would grap this opportunity and show the world that Rivers State is a major hub for film tourism in Nigeria.

On his part, Ojon said the visit was to discuss on ways of promoting tourism in the State using creatives and film.

Ojon said although the company has recently been acquired by canal+ France and is undergoing restructuring, he would promote the chances of Rivers State to host the MultiChoice talent factory in the State.

With Asaba, capital of Delta State, being saturated, Ojon said the next port is Rivers State, which he said is capable of building fresh crop of creatives, new locations, new story lines and concepts.

He, therefore, called for collaboration from stakeholders in the State.

Kevin Nengia

Featured

APC Presidential Campaign Storms PH, ‘Morrow

Published

2 days ago

November 6, 2026

The Tide

Barring last minute changes, the presidential campaign train of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will storm Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, tomorrow.

This is according to a campaign timetable released by the APC Campaign Council last month.

The Tide reports that the APC presidential campaign kicked off in Kaduna on October 24 with President Bola Tinubu in attendance.

The campaign train later moved to Cross River, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Ekiti on November 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively with the Vice President, Kashim Shettima representing the President at the rallies.

President Tinubu is personally scheduled to attend 12 states including Rivers, Kaduna, Plateau, Oyo, Borno, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, Adamawa and Lagos.

The Rivers State rally, scheduled to hold at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, is expected to witness a large crowd of party supporters drawn from a coalition of political parties in the State.

The party is expected to round off its presidential campaign in Lagos State on January 9, 2027.

The Tide reports that Tinubu has not visited Rivers State as President since he assumed office in May 2023. His last physical visit to the State was before his inauguration on Wednesday, May 3 – Thursday, May 4, 2023, when he was hosted by then Governor Nyesom Wike in Port Harcourt to commission the Rumuola/Rumuokwuta Flyover and the Magistrates’ Court Complex.

Tomorrow’s visit will be his first to the State since assuming office.

Featured

2027: Be Politically Neutral, Fubara Tasks Traditional Rulers

Published

1 week ago

October 30, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged traditional rulers in the State to maintain neutrality, ensure fairness and uphold peace in their domains as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.

Fubara gave the charge on Wednesday while declaring open the 126th, 127th and 128th Combined Quarterly Meeting of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council, in Port Harcourt.

The governor said the primary function of traditional rulers is to administer justice and ensure fairness, saying their conduct must not lead to division and unmanageable crises.

“Let me therefore, request, if that is the right word to use, that please, as we are entering into this political season actively, everyone should ensure that your conduct promoted peace in your place. Your actions should not be what would lead to the division and multiple crisis that we cannot manage as a government.

“I think with that, we can all live as one and we can also continue to make this progress that we are trying with all our mind, our body and our soul, to ensure that we deliver to our dear State,” he said.

Fubara urged the royal fathers to abide by the oath and constitution they swore to before ascending their respective stools, in the interest of stability and progress of the State.

He also enjoined them to set aside individual sentiments and place the interest of Rivers State above personal considerations, noting that this principle has guided his own day-to-day governance of the State.

“I want to enjoin everyone to keep aside issues of individual sentiments and ensure that the interest of our state supersedes whatever thing that we have in our mind. This is not just what I’m saying here, it is what I’ve also practiced and displayed in my day-to-day life in the governance of our dear State,” he said.

On the appeal for improved welfare for traditional rulers, the governor clarified that the delay in actualising some of the requests they made in the past was not from the government but from the inability of the Council to put its house in order.

Fubara explained that the issue of stipends paid to the traditional rulers by the local government councils, was a statutory benefit provided for in the constitution and not what a state governor can change by mere verbal pronouncements.

He assured that he remains a man of his word and will fulfill his promises to the traditional rulers before leaving office, next year.

He reaffirmed his respect for the traditional institution as custodians of culture and the closest link to the people, thanking them for their prayers and support.

The governor urged the royal fathers to ensure that the combined quarterly meeting featured fruitful deliberations that will strengthen peace and development in the State.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers and Paramount Ruler of Apara Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Eze Chike Amadi Worlu Wodo, expressed profound gratitude to the State Government for its efforts in maintaining a cordial relationship with the traditional institution.

Wodo highlighted the importance of traditional rulers in conflict resolution, noting that their closeness to the people places them in a strategic position to mediate in disputes involving chieftaincy matters, family disputes and land ownership in their respective communities.

The royal father drew the attention of the State Government to some challenges affecting the performance of the traditional institution, particularly the lack of official utility vehicles and logistical support needed to discharge its responsibilities effectively.

He also appealed for improved monthly stipends and better welfare provisions to reflect prevailing economic realities.