At least one person was killed on Saturday as a result of violence that trailed the conduct of the Rivers State legislative rerun election in Bodo and Kpor communities Gokana Local Government Area of the state, while in other parts of the state, it was peaceful.
Accreditation and voting started simultaneously in most of the affected polling units in Port Harcourt and Obio/ Akpor Local Government area from 9:00 a.m while in other parts of the state, the exercise started in polling units in other local government areas from 10:00 a.m and 11:00 a.m respectively.
The non-availability of materials made it impossible for former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and several others to vote at Unit 14, Ubima Ward 8 in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.
Sunday Tribune gathered in Bodo community, unknown gunmen, who invaded polling units in Bodo Ward 2, shot sporadically, killing Meebari Kormaga before carting away the election materials.
Gunmen invaded units 1 2,3,4,5, 6 and 7 of ward 3 located at Pius X College, Bodo, and shot sporadically, forcing voters and security personnel to scamper for safety before carting away the ballot boxes.
Reacting, Secretary to the Rivers State government, Kobani, accused a chieftain of APC from the community of being behind the killing and snatching of ballot boxes.
Kobani said, “The SARS men came in while voting was still going on, shot indiscriminately, killed one person and carted away all the materials. As we stand now, there is no voting in Ward 3. We don’t know where they took the materials to.”
But, candidate of the APC in the Rivers South East senatorial district, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, commended the conduct of the state and national assembly elections in Rivers South East Senatorial District particularly in Gokana Local Government Area.
Abe said although he had got reports about few cases of late arrival of materials and ballot box snatching, which he said was promptly responded to by security operatives, so far, the conduct appears impressive.