PHALGA 3 Polls Violence: Group Seeks Inquiry

A frontline non-governmental organisation (NGO) in the Niger Delta region, Forward Rivers Movement (FRM) has called on the state government to set up a panel of inquiry to investigate the remote and immediate causes of electoral violence that marred PHALGA State Constituency 111 bye-election held last Saturday in Port Harcourt.
The group also said that if set up, the panel should recommend severe punishment for anybody or group of persons found wanting in the exercise.
In a statement signed by the Secretary and the Public Relations Officer of the group, Okocha Njobunwu and Charles Danjumbo, respectively, and made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt, yesterday, the group decried the use of hired thugs and armed policemen by the factional Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State, Hon Ojukaye Flag-Amachreee to disrupt the exercise.
The group also called on the national leadership of APC to call Flag-Amachree to order, noting that no single individual has the monopoly of violence.
The statement commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for suspending the election, even as it called for an outright cancellation of the election.
The FRM also accused the APC chairman of intimidating and harassing voters with hoodlums and armed personnel of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and Inspector General of Police’s Monitoring Team, thereby disenfranchising eligible electorate from casting their votes.
The group condemned the mal-handling of INEC officials, ad-hoc staff and the carting away of electoral materials by agents of Flag-Amachree during the bye-election.
FRM lauded the INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Obo Effanga and his commissioners for acting in line with the rules guiding the process for free, fair and credible elections in the country.
It called on the APC chairman to manage his ego and exuberance following his appointment, as his actions portray frightening signal ahead of the 2019 elections in the state.
It appealed to politicians to allow the state remain peaceful as winning election was not by violence or intimidation of the electorate and INEC officials, but by the people voting wisely, and voting the party of their choice.

Chinedu Wosu