Quote:The outcome of the presidential election in Asari Toru Local Government Area, Rivers State, won by President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progresives, was on Monday disputed by the Electoral Officer for the area.

Mr Buhari’s APC was declared to have won the LGA on Sunday night at the collation centre in Port Harcourt. But the APC lost in other eight LGAs whose results were collated on Sunday night.

However, when the collation reopened on Monday morning, the State Collation Officer for the Presidential Election, SCOPE, recalled the Asari Toru LGA for correction of an an error with regards to observed discrepancies.

Then, the Electoral Officer for the LGA, Ken Okomadi, said he had comments to make on the results already approved.

“INEC has a goal to strive for integrity,” he began.

The EO said elections had started peacefully until “11:45 when unprecedented violence and snatching of ballot boxes started.”


He said there was no election and that he had reports to that effect from the Presiding Officers.

He added that the Returning Officer, Steve Nwaodu, disappeared.

“Only for me to see him in Port Harcourt,” he said. “I don’t have confidence in these results.”

But the Returning Officer insisted there was collation and he had to find his way to Port Harcourt.

For a moment, both officers contested in words.

The PDP agent, Austin Okpara, accused Mr Nwaodu of “allocating results.”

But the SCOPE took the results after the error which caused the recall of the LGA was corrected