Foreign election observers who came to Nigeria to monitor the March 19, 2016 legislative rerun elections in Rivers State have indicted an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Dakuku Peterside in the murder of the orderly of the chief of staff to the Rivers State Governor, Chief Emeka Wogu.
The Trent first broke the news that Dakuku’s security detail had opened fire on Wogu’s SUV on Sunday. Our reporter who was monitoring the elections from a location in Old GRA, Port Harcourt heard the gunshots in the estate and launched an investigation.
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Our findings revealed that Dakuku, who is also the director general of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had, in the company of about 50 soldiers, invaded an election collation centre and snatched original result sheets from election officials. Wogu, who was the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) agent at the centre, chased him to the Old GRA where Dakuku’s security opened fire on Wogu’s SUV killing one his aides.
Foreign observers, domestic and civil society organisation who covered the March 19 legislative elections in Rivers State held a press conference on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 at Juanita Hotel in Port Harcourt. At the briefing, attended by The Trent, a damning report was presented which outlined the key issues surrounding the preparations, conduct, and the outbreak of violence and irregularities during the tension-soaked polls.
The report indicted Dakuku Peterside for hijacking election materials at Ikwerre Ward 7 in the company of 50 soldiers. It also confirmed that an orderly of the chief of staff to Governor Wike was shot dead by security men attached to the NIMASA DG. The observers also condemned Sahara Reporters, which first reported the APC propaganda twisting the facts, for biased and sensational reporting of the incident, saying that “media houses owned by politicians” slanted their “reporting in favour of their directors”.
“It was observed that some media exaggerated matters and infact distorted the facts. This was initially noticed amongst media houses owned by politicians. Their reportage was mainly tilted in favour of the political party of their directors.
“A case in point is the report on the killings of the orderly of the chief of staff to the Governor [Wike]. The report in most newspapers was that the chief of staff attempted to assassinate a governorship candidate [Dakuku], whist in reality it was the orderly of the chief of staff that was killed by security men attached to the governorship candidate,” the report, obtained by The Trent, says.
The communique was issued by the group of election observers made up of the West African Network of Election Observers, Justice and Equity Organisation, Civil Society Network, National Association of State Legislators, African Initiative For Sustainable And Positive Development, and Restoration for Truth and Rights Initiative.
Some of the leaders of the organisations who spoke at the press briefing were Herbert General Lordmator, Mr B. Bafunsho, Emma Nweke, Chief Adolphus and WANEO co-ordinator for Rivers, Ambassador C. Onutemeka.
