Presidential Election: Rivers Collation Officer Decries Threat to His Life
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The State Collation Officer for the 2023 Presidential election in Rivers state, Prof Charles Teddy Addias, has decried series of threat from some political party faithful and unconfirmed members of the public.
Just as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi is leading the state with 168, 981 votes as collated from 21 local government areas of the state.
Prof Addias ,who spoke yesterday , while presiding at the 2023 general election state collation centre, held at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Port Harcourt, said he would have to indefinitely adjourn the collation process.
Collation of the presidential election for the state was expected to be concluded at the reconvening of the collation process, having just two local government areas to conclude the exercise.
Addias, who is the Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Otueke, Bayelsa, disclosed that his family members have received similar threats from the public, saying that despite the challenge he would remain committed to the service of the nation.
He explained that he was not involved in the collation of results at the polling units or at the LGAs, but a state Returning Officer whose duty was to receive already collated results and transmit to national collation centre, Abuja.
“I wish to use this medium to draw the attention of the public to the barrage of text massages and calls from members of the public and various walks of life, political parties faithful inclusive. And this massages range from calling me to order claiming abnormalities and those to threatening my life.
“They are threatening my life and members of my family. They claimed I am the mastermind of rigging in all elections in Rivers or intended to rig election from Rivers state. I need to add that it is common knowledge and common to suspect a possible concern for free and fair election and this will generate a lot of arguments among stakeholders.
“However, I am constraint to observe that threat to my life and members of my family, mainly by stakeholders of some political parties, a particular one however, will begin to resort to misinformation or ignorance about the scope of responsibilities or liabilities of staff that are adhoc with this Commission
For the avoidance of doubt, you may know that a state collation officer for the presidential election is limited to merely receiving report. I am not privy to any fact of figures emanating from conduct of election and presented here. I am not involved in the process of collation of results and announcement of results that would have taken place right in the local government for arrival here.
“Am not involved in accreditation, I am not involved in voting, am not involved in counting, am not involved in computation, neither am I involved in validation of votes accurable to any political party. I carefully consider therefore, I regret to observe that my life is being threatened because I have been erected to serve our dear country, to contribute my fair quota to the success of the ongoing elections which we all wait for and pray for success,” he said.
“By this I wish to alert security agencies, indeed the public of the threat to my life and request for every necessary protection to enable me live, discharge my duty and obligation. In the main time I need adjourn the collation of this presidential election fir Rivers state, to enable the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Rivers state and indeed INEC to address the foregoing and put holds as scope in Rivers state to the perspective in the public,” Addias added.
Reacting on the reported threat incident, Resident Commissioner of Police in charge of elections in Rivers, CP Adeyemi Adeoye, warned that the police would not be ignorant of such report, saying that investigation had commenced to unravel the perpetrators.
He also assured the state collation Officer of his safety even after his service in the state.
“Threat to life the professor have mentioned, the Nigerian Police Force condemned such threat and those behind it in its entirety without reservation. It is condemnable that what seem to have played out on social media is not complicity to real life and is affecting the whole of our national interest.
“He mentioned a particular political party posting his picture and urging his members world wide to rob him of the peace of his mind. Things are not done that way and whoever is behind it will have his or her name in court. I want to request the professor to kindly submit a written complaint to this effect to the Commissioner of Police, Rivers state. Investigation will be launched and those behind it will be brought to the book. While your assignment continues, the Nigerian Police Force guarantee your safety. We will provide adequate security for your movement, we will provide adequate security for your residence. Whoever is stupid enough to attempt anything will pay with their lives, if you wish try us. They have displayed irresponsible ignorance in blaming the professor for non-functioning of BVAS”, CP Adeoye assured.
Meanwhile, the LP is leading with 168, 981 in the collated 21 local government areas, while the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had gotten 148, 977 votes so far, leading the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who clinched 84, 992 votes.
