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| Awara Biokpomabo |
The candidate of the African Action Congress in the Saturday governorship election in Rivers State, Awara Biokpomabo, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to declare him the governor-elect.
Biokpomabo, who made the call on Monday when he spoke with newsmen in Port Harcourt, also demanded the redeployment of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Obo Effanga, for alleged incompetence.
He alleged that Effanga appointed card-carrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party as INEC ad hoc employees.
The AAC candidate claimed that based on the figures made available to him by his party agents from seven local government areas, he was ahead of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Nyesom Wike.
He alleged that INEC decided to suspend the election process because the electoral commission was aware that he would win.
Biokpomabo rejected the reasons of violence, seizure of election materials by hoodlums and insecurity given by INEC for the suspension of the governorship election in the state.
He said, “The results already declared at the aforesaid local government collation centres should be accepted.
“INEC should declare me, Awara Biokpomabo, of the African Action Congress the winner of the 09-03-2019 governorship election in the state.
“The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Obo Effanga, should be immediately redeployed for gross incompetence.”
Accusing the state REC of involvement in election malpractice, Biokpomabo also alleged that suspected thugs loyal to the state governor were involved in carting away of election materials in Obio/Akpor LGA.
But in his reaction, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah, said Rivers State had not become a banana republic, where anybody could be rigged into power by a godfather.
Okah said the AAC candidate was acting like a gold-digger, adding that Biokpomabo was incapable of winning a polling unit, let alone a ward.
