..says military pushed out police pushed out
in Rivers state
By Dirisu Yakubu
ABUJA- The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu to quickly intervene in what is threatening into a violent crisis in the South- South geo-political zone of the country.

Soldiers and policemen stand at the gate of the state headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on March 10, 2019. – Fears has gripped residents of oil-rich Port Harcourt city in Niger delta region as state headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commission has been condoned off by dozens of fierce looking soldiers, anti-riots policemen and other complementary security agents who are jointly patrolling the city ahead of the much awaited results of the just concluded governorship and state assembly elections. (Photo by AFP)

The Election Monitoring unit of the party in a statement on Sunday said after reviewing the activities of the military in the region and “the blatant use of force on election officials and party agents,” called on the INEC boss to immediately save the situation and avert the deterioration into war.

According to a statement, the military hijacked all electoral functions from the statutory workers and “took over collation of results which is now relocated in the barracks where even the Police could not access.

The statement said the scenario was the same in other parts of the country particularly in Oyo and Kano states where it claimed the PDP was “in comfortable lead.”

It accused the military of high handedness and brutality saying its agents and electoral officers were intimidated.

https://newlive.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/inec-officials-deliver-voting-materials-early-at-polling-units-in-mushin/

“No matter what it takes, the will of the people must be restored otherwise we can bid bye to democracy and peace in this country,” the unit warned.

They called on the international community to note the “illegal use of force by the military operatives where civil security like the Police are totally edged out.”