The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged the thumb-printing fresh ballot papers in parts of the state under the supervision of local leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. The party raised an alarm about the alleged development in a press statement signed by Rivers State APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, and issued yesterday night in the state capital, Port Harcourt.

“We wish to alert the security agencies and the Nigerian public of the on-going thumb-printing of fresh ballot papers in different homes in Degema, Port Harcourt, Obio Akpor and Okrika. We identified well known PDP members among those perpetuating this evil act aimed at subverting the will of the Rivers State electorate, whose mandate to our great party during the last general elections was brazenly stolen by the PDP in connivance with Rivers INEC. We suspect that they are doing this in a desperate bid to manufacture ‘evidence’ to be presented before the Election Petition Tribunal, which we expect to do the right thing by annulling the wrongful announcement of Chief Nyesom Wike as winner of the April 11 gubernatorial election and ordering the restoration of the mandate of our great party and our distinguished governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside,” Ikanya said in the statement.

Rivers APC lamented that it recently raised a similar alarm as it relates to the ticking of fresh voters registers, filling of new result sheets and incident forms in different hotels around Port Harcourt, regretting that neither the security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) care to act on our complaint. The party, however, appealed to its members to continue to remain calm, as it has confidence in the election tribunal which is handling the case.

•Photo shows Ikanya.