The Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters have stormed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with charms and local pots.
Before adopting fetish materials, the protesters had gathered on Monday at INEC’s office in Port Harcourt stating their grievances.
They demanded to see the electoral materials used for the March 18 governorship election that was held in the state.
The Monday protest had turned violent when the governorship candidate of the APC, Tonye Cole, and some members of the party executive arrived at the GRA junction to proceed to the INEC office, just a few metres away along Aba Road in Port Harcourt.
Cole had insisted that he and his team would visit the INEC office on Tuesday to continue their demand.
The candidate, however, changed his mind to avoid a repeat of Monday’s crisis where he was injured.
Meanwhile, the development reaching newsmen stated that the protesters placed several fetish materials in the middle of the road with a man dressed like a ‘juju priest’ adorned in red cloth with his head and waist wrapped with palm fronds, presiding over affairs, pouring libations, and making incantations in a local dialect.
Reports held that the barricades that were erected by security operatives on both the Waterlines axis and the GRA junction leading to the INEC office remained, as motorists and commuters were barred from accessing the hitherto busy express road.
The ongoing protest was led by the Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie, and the Ikwerre Local Government Area Chairman.
Other lawmakers who joined Ehie on Tuesday were the 32-member House leader, Martins Amaewhule.
Ehie said:
“The police must arrest him (Cole) today because we don’t know what to tell the family of the dead PDP supporter. The wife and children are crying at the hospital. Why must we continue to fold our hands and allow criminals to steal our money because they are using thugs?
“The Nigeria Police must rise to the occasion. We are ready to die for our rights. We are ready to die to defend our mandate. Enough is enough.”
