Foreign election observers confirm Dakuku killed Emeka Woke's aide.

Dakuku Peterside

Foreign election observers who came to Nigeria to monitor the March 19, 2016 legislative rerun elections in Rivers State have indicted an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Dakuku Peterside in the murder of the ordily of the chief of staff to the Rivers State Governor, Chief Emeka Wogu.

Findings revealed that Dakuku, the director general of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had in the company of about 50 soldiers invaded an election collation centre and snatched original result sheets from election officials. Wogu, who was the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) agent at the centre, chased him to the Old GRA where Dakuku’s security opened fire on Wogu’s SUV killing one his aides.

Foreign observers, domestic and civil society organisation who covered the March 19 legislative elections in Rivers State held a press conference on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 held an international press conference at Juanita Hotel in Port Harcourt. At the briefing, a report was presented which outlined the key issues surrounding the preparations, conduct, and the outbreak of violence and irregularities during the tension-soaked polls.

The report indicted Dakuku Peterside for hijacking election materials at Ikwerre Ward 7 in the company of 50 soldiers it also confirmed that an orderly of the chief of staff to Governor Wike was shot dead by security men attached to the NIMASA DG. The observers also indicted Sahara Reporters for biased and sensational reporting of the incident, saying that “media houses owned by politicians tilted its reporting in favour of their directors”.

“It was observed that some media exaggerated matters and infact distorted the facts. This was initially noticed amongst media houses owned by politicians. Their reportage was mainly titled in favour of the political party of their directors. A case in point is the report on the killings of the orderly of the chief of staff to the Governor [Wike].

 The report in most newspapers was that the chief of staff attempted to assassinate a governorship candidate [Dakuku], whist in reality it was the orderly of the chief of staff that was killed by security men attached to the governorship candidate,” the report says.

The communique was issued by the group of election observers made up of the West African Network of Election Observers, Justice and Equity Organisation, Civil Society Network, National Association of State Legislators, African Initiative For Sustainable And Possible Development, and Restoration for Truth and Rights Initiative. Some of the leaders of the organisations who spoke at the press briefing were, Herbert General Lordmator, Mr B. Bafunsho, Emma Nweke, Chief Adolphus and WANEO co-ordinator for Rivers, Ambassador C. Onutemeka.