News / Nigeria

Nigeria opposition alleges ‘rape of democracy’

Monday, 13 April 2015 12:42 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 13 April 2015 12:41 PM ]

A car passes in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State in southern Nigeria, in front of a campaign billboard of former President Goodluck Jonathan, March 30, 2015. © AFP

Nigerian opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) cries foul after former President Goodluck Jonathon’s party secures the country’s oil hub state in gubernatorial polls.

Official results from the Saturday elections emerged on Monday, showing victory for Nyesom Wike from Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Rivers State over the APC’s Dakuku Peterside.

Outgoing governor, Rotimi Amaechi, had switched sides from the PDP to the APC in 2013 and become a vocal critic of Jonathan’s government.

Rotimi Amaechi, outgoing governor of Nigeria’s Rivers State

Amaechi’s Information Commissioner Ibim Semenitari said, “What happened on Saturday was a rape of democracy. There was no election in Rivers.”

“The PDP in connivance with INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) and the security agencies merely wrote figures which they have churned out to the public,” she said, adding, “We are going to challenge the results.”

The PDP, however, said the result was a “a reflection of the people’s confidence” in them.

There were also widespread claims from the APC of PDP irregularities in voting in the state at the presidential election held two weeks ago.

Rivers voted nearly 95 percent in favor of Jonathan in the polls. He, however, lost the race to the APC’s Muhammadu Buhari, who secured the first opposition win in the country’s history.

HN/HSN/SS

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