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Prof. Charles Adias, the State Collation Officer for the presidential election results in Rivers, has adjourned collation of results till further notice.
Mr Adias, while briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said that the adjournment became imperative in view of alleged threats to his life by a particular political party supporters.
The Vice Chancellor of the federal university, Otuoke, Bayelsa, alleged that there had been several threats to his life from the said party supporters.
He said those threatening him accused him of rigging the presidential election in Rivers.
Adias explained that he was not involved in result collation and announcement at the local government level before their arrival to the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt.
He also noted that he was not involved in voter accreditation, voting and counting of results, neither was he involved in computation or validation of votes accrual to any political party.
The state collation officer requested for protection of his life and those of his family by security agents.
“In the meantime, I wish to adjourn the collation of the presidential elections results in Rivers, to enable the Residents Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Rivers and indeed INEC to address the forgoing,” he said.
Mr Adias said his action was also to enable “INEC to put my roles and scope in state to the perspective of the public.”
He, however, reassured the public of his continued diligence and willingness to contribute towards achieving the dignity of the process and ensuring that it was free, fair, credible and inclusive.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the 2023 election in the state, Aderemi Adeoye, has given assurance that the police would provide optimum security for the state collation officer.
Mr Adeoye who was reacting to the outcry from Adias asked him to write formally to the force, noting that those issuing such threats would face the full wrath of the law.
(NAN)
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