Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Rivers State, has claimed that atleast 15 people were reported dead across the state following the conclusion of the recent governorship and State House of Assembly elections.
Abe also claimed that a member of his party was also kidnapped right from the election grounds and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, is yet to say anything about the development.
He spoke while fielding questions from journalists on a live Television programme on Thursday.
The Senator, who lost last Saturday’s gubernatorial election to Siminialayi Fubara, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), also said the outcome of the poll was not free and fair.
Abe said, “I did not even want to talk about Fubara. The young man is not an issue as far as this whole thing is concerned. He did not talk to anybody throughout the election and nobody spoke to him. The issue of congratulating or not congratulating him was irrelevant, It was the same PDP mischief-makers that drafted a statement in my name saying that I congratulated Fubara and repeating the same things that the governor (Wike) is mounting that I was not a serious candidate.
“If I was not a serious candidate, why is he after the SDP? Why is he after me? Why was I the focal point of his attacks, why did he not allow the security to provide security for Rivers people to vote If you are so sure of yourself and sure of your popularity and sure of your acceptance, the best way to test it is in an election and we did not have one, so I would not want to go into all those things so why would I congratulate somebody that emanated from this kind of process.
“As we speak, over 15 persons have reported death across Rivers State. The police have not said a word about that. One of the members of our party was kidnapped right from the election ground, the police said they did not have him, nobody is saying a word about it, and the governor would not say a word about it. How can we live in a country like that so the lives of people are irrelevant and everybody is going about and describing the election as free and fair.”
Magnus Abe also condemned the silence of the police despite killings during the election.
Abe said video evidence in some of the cases show that several persons were murdered in the violence that characterised the March 18 poll.
The Rivers State Police Command has maintained ignorance of any fatality, the SDP flagbearer complained in a statement Wednesday night.
The former senator for Rivers South East also dismissed reports that he congratulated Siminialayi Fubara, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Abe decried the disenfranchisement of many voters in a process marred by “intimidation and harassment” with alleged state backing.
The politician said traditional rulers, thugs and militants across the state were mobilised to threaten those not willing to vote for the PDP.
“Those who defied the warning were beaten mercilessly under police watch. In Ahoada East LGA, four persons were killed.
“Two of them were members of the SDP who resisted people who came to cart away ballot boxes and BVAS machines.
“Nobody was arrested. Those who shot them were known and all these happened in the presence of security agencies.”
Noting that everyone saw and knew what happened in Rivers, Abe disclosed he would consult his team, and “decide our next step”.
