Amaechi loses LGA to Wike as INEC resumes collation of Rivers results
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has resumed collation of results for the governorship poll in Rivers state.
On March 10, INEC had suspended all electoral processes in the state as a result of violence and widespread disruption of collation of results.
The commission later announced that the results of 17 local government areas were intact, and it rescheduled collation for April 2 to April 5. INEC had also scheduled supplementary election in the remaining six local government areas for April 13.
So far, results from about three local government areas have been announced at the collation centre in Port Harcourt.
In Ikwerre local government area where Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation hails from, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 14, 938 while the African Action Congress (AAC) polled 5, 660. PDP also won Port Harcourt local government area with 40, 197 votes, and AAC polled 11, 866.
The contest is mainly between Nyesom Wike, incumbent governor and candidate of the PDP and Awara Biokpomabo, candidate of the AAC.
The AAC candidate is being backed by Amaechi. On the eve of the March 9 gubernatorial election, Amaechi had directed his supporters to vote for Biokpomabo.
Earlier, an Abuja high court dismissed a suit filed by the AAC seeking to stop INEC from collating the results. Inyang Ekwo, the judge, held that since the case was related to election, it was appropriate for the plaintiffs to take their case before an election tribunal.
Abua Odual, Ahoada West, Gokana, Khana, Asari Toru and Degema are the six local government areas where supplementary election is expected to hold.
Thank God for the collation results so far from Rivers State. The remaining six (6) LGA where supplementary election will take place will put an end to crisis in the State.