Tina Amanda
A coalition of Civil Society Groups in the State has staged a protest in Port Harcourt calling for the redeployment of the Rivers state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Obo Effanga, in order to avert what they term as a looming crisis.
They staged the protest to the offices of Department of State Security Services DSS and Rivers State Police Command Headquarters Portharcourt, requesting the security agencies to prevail on the Independent National Electoral Commission to avoid activities that could throw the state into crisis.
According to the Chancellor of International Society for Social Justice and Human Right, OMENAZU JACKSON who presented the protest letter to the heads of security agencies, he claimed that the suspended election is capable of bridging peace and security in the state.
JACKSON also expressed worries that INEC could cite widespread violence on the election and then go ahead disclose that about seventeen local government results have been in their custody.
They also demanded to know how the electoral umpire wants the people to have confidence in them when PortHarcourt Local Government Area state constituency 3, by-election conducted last year was yet to be announced till date.
He also called for the immediate redeployment of the REC and for a new REC to be brought in that will supervise and ensure free and fair elections in the state for the interest of peace and security of the state.
In their responses, Deputy Commissioner of Police in Charge of Administration, VICTOR ERIWODE who received the protest letter on behalf of the commissioner of Police and officials of DSS in the state who also received the letter commended the protesters for their peaceful disposition but encouraged them to maintain the peace for hoodlums not to hijack the protest, while assuring them that their protest letters would get to the appropriate authorities.
The Independent National Electoral Commission is yet to react to the allegations arising from the protest.
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