…Wike calls on international community to intervene
There’s palpable tension in Edo state with just two more local governments results are being awaited following the disappearance of the returning Officers (RO).
A collation agent of the PDP in Edo, Ogbeide Ihama, earlier raised the alarm of the sudden disappearance of returning officers and electoral officers assigned to Orhionmwon local government area for September 19 polls.
The officers were at the venue for the state collation until the commission was due for a break.
In the wake of their disappearance, the electoral returning officer has called for an emergency break while awaiting results Orhionmwon and Ovia South West local government.
He said he has called the Orhionmwon local government election officer who said he is in the commission’s office but didn’t know the office.
Voting in Orhionmwon has been beset by challenges on Saturday.
In an emergency press statement at PDP situation room, the Chairman of their campaign council and the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike alleged that the returning officer is been held at the office of INEC administrative secretary in the state.
Wike said; “it’s shocking to us that the returning officer for Orhionmwon, after the results has been collated came to the state INEC collation office and before we knew it, the returning officer has diaappered.”
Wike also reiterated his call on INEC not to declare the result inconclusive as that could result to violence in the state.
“INEC shouldn’t in anyway, try to declare this election inconclusive, we will not accept it because everybody knows who has won the election.”
He also called on the public, international organizations to prevail on INEC to stand on the right thing and bring out the returning officer to announce the results already collated.
Orhionmwon is one of two local government areas from where results of voting are yet to be declared.
The other is Ovia South West.