NewStats: 3,262,143 , 8,176,185 topics. Date: Saturday, 31 May 2025 at 10:26 PM 3y6i2d

Some lecturers of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) who were listed to serve as ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the March 19 State and National Assembly re-run elections in Rivers State have opted out of the exercise over an alleged threat by the State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike.

INEC had shortlisted about 300 lecturers from UNIPORT to serve in the election as ad hoc staff.
The lecturers, who met with the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Ndowa Lale, on Monday, said their decision to stay away from the exercise was as a result of the statement credited to the governor that those who planned to rig the re-run elections should be ready for the consequences.



Wike had told Lale that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had infiltrated the list of lecturers from the institution with the aim of rigging the re-run legislative elections through the imposition of politically compromised returning officers.
The governor had also claimed that one Dr Otu Ekpeyong and an APC chieftain in Asari-Toru connived to draw up a list of returning officers from the UNIPORT with the aim of rigging the re-run polls.
He had warned that lecturers who would allow themselves to be used by APC chieftains would face the wrath of Rivers people.

Addressing the gathering of over 300 lecturers on Monday, Ekpeyong described himself as a man of integrity who had witnessed many elections in the past and wondered why the governor should suspect that he was planning to rig the March 19 re-run elections.

Ekpeyong said he had taken a personal decision not to be part of the election.

“The vice chancellor gave me a job, which I did to the best of my ability. This (INEC ad-hoc employee) is an assignment I have done for over seven years and my integrity has never been in doubt.

“Personally, I am making a decision of not going anywhere (not to be part of the election),” Ekpeyong said.

Another lecturer, Dr. Ben Ihewosira, explained that he was also opting out of the Rivers State re-run elections, adding that the exercise had been politicised.

Similarly, Dr. Abdulrahman Megida, who is a senior lecturer in UNIPORT, specifically demanded that his name be expunged from the list of INEC ad-hoc staff for the polls.

According to him, “My name is synonymous to the All Progressives Congress and you know that the government here is PDP (Peoples Democratic Party). Based on that, I want my name to be expunged from the list.”

The vice chancellor had earlier advised the lecturers to stay away from the election if they were not sure of contributing to the conduct of a free, fair and credible election.

Lale pointed out that since INEC had not faulted the list, he would not withdraw it, adding that doing otherwise would mean authenticating the allegations against the lecturers, whose names were on the list.

“The university will not take it kindly with anybody who may want to rubbish its (UNIPORT) name during the forthcoming elections. I signed the list because I know the people on the list are people with integrity.

“But each of you should be sure of the decision you want to take. I want you all to be alive after the rerun elections on the 19th of March,” Lale said.

source: http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/03/07/uniport-lecturers-opt-out-of-rivers-re-run-election-over-wikes-warning/?

comment loading....

Intimidation can only get you a step ahead for a short distance.

You don't create enemies for yourself when you're in front.

Who wants to die?? Nice movement by the lecturer....

Fayose matter will be JOKE compare to what will happen to wike...

Fayose Kirikiri 80% Loading....

Wike own will be (killed by hanging) with all the blood he is shedding...

Nigerian politics.

Draft soldiers to be electoral officers then. No self respecting civilian considering the spart of dealth in Rivers will risk his life for the election.

They actually planned to rig that election otherwise why are they backing out? Just write your will and include Amaechi as one of the beneficiary and then come and rig your life. If you are really going to do the right thing there won't be any need for fear. Nobody should temper with the choice of the masses. Wike's statement is same as Buhari saying Baboons and Dogs will be sucked in blood if the election is rigged against him. So no zombie should masturbate here.

the Guilty is always afraid and running when no man is chasing him or her. Why backing off with a lame excuse of being threatened. Rivers knows what they want and that's what they wud get come rain come sun, if they like, they should bring Aso Rock Villa staff as adhoc, we will still vote our candidates and deliver them

What is Wike's assessment or evidence of a free and fair election in rivers state? A free and fair election in rivers state is an election which is won by the PDP only, if APC wins then the election is rigged! because according to Wike rivers people are pdp people. The implication is that any election won by the APC in rivers state is Wike's rigged election and any UNIPORT lecturer who conducts an election won by the APC would be visited by machete and gun wielding millitants who have already begun a beheading spree! If i were a lecturer, I would definitely ópt out as well. I may be able to protect myself after the elections, what about my wife? And my son? And my daughter? What a pity!

nnachukz:
They actually planned to right that election otherwise why are they backing out? Just write your will and include Amaechi as one of the beneficiary and then come and rig your life. If you are really going to do the right thing there won't be any need for fear. Nobody should temper with the choice of the masses. Wike's statement is same as Buhari saying Bamboo and Dogs will be sucked in blood if the election is rigged against him. So no zombie should masturbate here.

so you are ing electoral violence,are you even a human beign or an animal in human skin?

If you are coming to rig elections write your will, which means you will be killed! Só the punishment for rigging an election is now death? Who has killed Wike for all the elections he has rigged? If Wike says election riggers should be killed and he keeps justifying it at every interview then Wike must be taken to the ICC asap.

Tunami:
so you are ing electoral violence,are you even a human beign or an animal in human skin?

hypocrites shut up yo mouth, weren't u happy when President Buhari said Bamboos and dogs will be soaked in blood. Wike is a good learner, he learnt from Buhari.

The fire ignited by supreme court is fast burning. God will have mercy on River State.

Tinubutoto:

hypocrites shut up yo mouth, weren't u happy when President Buhari said Bamboos and dogs will be soaked in blood. Wike is a good learner, he learnt from Buhari.

And you are happy? When a corpse is being carried by another man, another will think it is a log of wood. But the moment the carry corpse into his house, he will realize it is a dead body.
Life cannot be replaced.

Thisday was not at the meeting, they are giving a biased report. The media houses that were present are NTA, Punch, Nigeriainfo and one other not Thisday.

Those yoots aren't gonna see anything wrong with this but when shiit hits the fan they'd be all over the place howling and wailing like fat kids whose mothers had tittties yanked out of their hungry mouths.

Wike was, is and will always be an unrepentant thug and an "enforcer". He's simply doing what he's best at doing. These same scenario played out in an "uglier" manner during the guber election and the Supreme court put a seal of approval on it with their most distasteful judgement.

The security forces should be on the alert to avert any breakdown in law and order. The people of Rivers state must not be muscled into voting any particular candidates. Be they APC or PDP, a fair and free contest is all we demand in Rivers. Let the best men win.

PDP is rivers. U can't rig PDP into power in Katsina, same way u can't rig APC into power in Rivers. Just less than 15% of APC in Rivers cannot dictate for more than 85% of the PDP populace. Only places you hear about Rivers APC is mostly on pages of Newspaper or TV stations to make Nigerians from other states feel they control majority of the people in Rivers.

dexpee4life:
the Guilty is always afraid and running when no man is chasing him or her. Why backing off with a lame excuse of being threatened. Rivers knows what they want and that's what they wud get come rain come sun, if they like, they should bring Aso Rock Villa staff as adhoc, we will still vote our candidates and deliver them

The people that died last year and those been killed recently, what are they guilty of?

omenka:
Those yoots aren't gonna see anything wrong with this but when shiit hits the fan they'd be all over the place howling and wailing like fat kids whose mothers had tittties yanked out of their hungry mouths.

Wike was, is and will always be an unrepentant thug and an "enforcer". He's simply doing what he's best at doing. These same scenario played out in an "uglier" manner during the guber election and the Supreme court put a seal of approval on it with their most distasteful judgement.

The security forces should be on the alert to avert any breakdown in law and order. The people of Rivers state must not be muscled into voting any particular candidates. Be they APC or PDP, a fair and free contest is all we demand in Rivers. Let the best men win.

hmmmm .......this IG ain't doing his work well..my strong opinion!

Imagine that.

Can you imagine??

R

Hmmmmn

What are they scared of?

I hate violence. those lecturer should also say no to election rigging

NextGovernor:
PDP is rivers. U can't rig PDP into power in Katsina, same way u can't rig APC into power in Rivers. Just less than 15% of APC in Rivers cannot dictate for more than 85% of the PDP populace. Only places you hear about Rivers APC is mostly on pages of Newspaper or TV stations to make Nigerians from other states feel they control majority of the people in Rivers.

Only on Pages of Newspapers and some TV Stations That Line is Epic

Na real wah!

The guy above me hmmmmm

Yes I stand with wike. If you know your coming to rig the re-run on 19th march for apc better write your will cus all rivers state occupants and indigenes will beat the hell out of you.we want a free and fair election, buhari take note! As for dakuku he should keep talking like an slowpoke, even sylvia has gone dark but that idiot is still dreaming of govt house. Let no kid mod ban me ooo. I didn't break any rules cus I know one mod is pro apc here.

Dem no even get liver..... Mteeeeewwwwch

Wike should repent.