Tension still rules Rivers State, following Saturday’s elections which have been rejected by the APC but applauded by the PDP which swept all the seats and secured 95 per cent for President Goodluck Jonathan.
The police has announced a curfew from 7pm to 6am during which the streets are deserted.
Meanwhile, residents of Enugu state resumed normal activities on Monday, immediately after the election and results.
Banks and other financial houses have started business unhindered.However some people who lost the election, particularly Ben Nwonye, the APC candidate for Enugu East, who was the state chairman for the party, called for the cancellation of the election in Enugu.
He accused the state resident electoral commissioner of rigging them out.
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The APC in Rivers State continued protests Monday morning through their women, but the police dispersed the protesters numbering about 100 with teargas.
Motor traffic was sparse yesterday, unlike other days when it is chaotic. Shops were open but the busy Mile One market was a shadow of itself in the morning, though it gathered momentum as the day wore on.
Banks and other businesses were open, but some companies remained shut. Government offices were open but half empty, due to the mobilisation for protest.
Residents were seen in clusters, discussing the elections and the outcome. Others were busy chasing results.
The APC has since rejected the results that showed a landslide for the PDP.
The party called for the removal and trial of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Geisila Khan.
The state government said: “The Rivers REC has just engineered a rape of democracy in Rivers State. Khan who made no bias for the PDP today denied the over one million APC voters in Rivers state their voice.
“This is not acceptable to us and we reiterate our call for the cancellation of all elections in Rivers State. Khan was kept abreast of all protests of the APC by its state party agent, the lawyer, Achinike, William – Wobodo, whom her staff unceremoniously sent out of the collation centre on Saturday March 28th, 2015.
“Besides the seven petitions before her, written and signed by the barrister William – Wobodo, Khan is aware that a petition from Rivers State is before the chairman of INEC and he has announced investigations into the Rivers State case. The APC in Rivers State rejects in its totality the false and misleading results presented by Khan”.
While the APC wails, the PDP hails its candidates who swept the polls. The chairman Felix Obuah, has congratulated all the three senatorial and 12 House of Representatives candidates who won. Describing the victory as well deserved, the chairman said the landslide victory has vindicated the party that Rivers State is a PDP state.
Obuah expressed hope that the same feat would be repeated on April 11, in the governorship and State House of Assembly elections.
Despite the victory, most PDP members have remained apprehensive over the outcome of the presidential election in other states.
In Enugu, the PDC under which Chimaroke Nnamani, former governor of the state, contested ,protested to the INEC saying that the outcome of the result in Enugu East, where the sitting Senator, Gill Nnaji was declared winner, was not true.
IGNATIUS CHUKWU, SABY ELEMBA & REGIS ANUKWUOJI
