Chairman, Rivers State NUJ, Mr. Opaka Dokubo with his executive officers having a group photograph with foreign observers, 2015 general election in his office in Port Harcourt. Photo: Egberi A. Sampson

The All Progressives
Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom on Monday staged a peaceful protest against the alleged irregularities in last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Leading the party faithful in the protest, the APC governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom, Mr Umana Okon Umana, called for the cancellation of the poll, describing it as a farce.
Our correspondent reports that the protesters stormed INEC office in Uyo at about 12.30 p.m. while the collation of the presidential election in the state was ongoing.
Umana said that the party would not accept the results for the presidential and NASS elections held in the state.
He said that the party, after a review of the field reports on the elections across the state, had come to the conclusion that the elections be cancelled.
The APC governorship candidate said that the call was based on the fact that the elections were not conducted in accordance with the Electoral Law and INEC’s guidelines.
He alleged that in all polling stations no result sheets were found for recording the outcome of the poll.
Umana wondered who withheld such sensitive materials needed for the conduct of elections as stipulated by INEC guidelines.
He alleged that the INEC officials had supplied fake result sheets to the polling units in the state when his party raised alarm over absence of result sheets.
Umana further alleged that the result sheets supplied obviously lacked security imprints often found in the original result sheet.
“In Ibesikpo Asutan local government area, the commissioner for local government, Mr Uwem Ita Etuk, went around with policemen and thugs beating up and maiming people.
“There were also widespread violence and other irregularities in polling units in Ukanafun and other local government areas across the state.
“In most part of Ukanafun, INEC staff clearly took side and refused to be an umpire in the elections,” Umana alleged.
The APC candidate therefore called on INEC to cancel the elections and reschedule fresh polls that would be conducted within and not in breach of electoral guidelines.
Responding, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Austin Okojie, thanked the party leadership in the state and their supporters for conducting the protest peacefully.
Okojie promised to forward their protest letter to INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, for action