Nigeria: Heavy Shootings Rock Ogoni - HDP Alleges

Nigeria: Heavy Shootings Rock Ogoni--HDP Alleges

HOPE Democratic Party (HDP) governorship candidate in Rivers State, and factional President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Dr. Goodluck Diigbo, says the governorship and House of Assembly elections in Ogoni were characterised by heavy shootings.

According to him, it is also premature for the state wing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to start celebrating their purported victories at the polls.

In an on-line statement to AkanimoReports on Thursday, Diigbo said, ''i am considering pursuing the election matter to logical conclusion''. Adding, he said, ''i demand for nullification of the elections because there were obvious irregularities and I was denied votes cast for me. The retrogression dampened the hope of the masses''.

He was reacting to the outcome of governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state held on Tuesday.

“Throughout the campaign, I had pursued principal influences that informed and swayed voters to exercise their franchise, but the polling day shootings stopped votes from being counted and thus, making uncertain the idea of moving Nigeria in the right direction'', he noted.

According to him, ''during the elections, there were shootings all over Ogoniland, to impose political representatives through the ballot box, which i say is a great disservice to Nigerians, especially the Ogoni people. We have paid so much sacrifice for freedom and justice and the use of force of arms was a nightmare for the Electoral Act 2010 intended to promote knowledge of sound democratic processes''.

Continuing, he said, ''the thing of fundamental importance to democratic growth is to have the ballot represent the will of the majority, no matter how poor the majority might be.

“This problem of establishing a credible representative government is the real one in Nigeria today. Solve the problem of a true representative government, and it will solve all other obstacles to civilizatio

Akanimo Sampson

ENDS

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