Estimated reading time: 8 minute(s)
Adejoke Adebiyi
The State Collation Officer for the February 25 presidential election in Rivers State, Professor Teddy Adias, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Otuoke, has raised the alarm over alleged threats to his life and that of his family members.
Adias said some individuals claimed that he was detailed to manipulate the votes in favour of a candidate or political party at the polls.
He said this in a statement titled “My stewardship, my bond as state collation officer for the 2023 presidential election, Rivers state,”
Adias while debunking the allegations, explained that his job as state collation officer was simply to collate the results that had been recorded at the units, wards, and local government levels up to the state’s collation center where all the scores were summed up in the presence of concerned persons and groups, party agents, and the media.
He said that, it was impossible for him to manipulate scores that had already been counted, recorded, confirmed, signed, and stamped by officers at the lower levels of collation (unit, ward, and LGA).
He also stressed his neutrality as a Vice-Chancellor, questioning how anyone could have imagined that he was out to favour any candidate or political party in the Presidential Elections.
Adias told the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Rivers State, Johnson Alalibo, about the threats to his life
He said “Looking at the scope and modalities of my job as well as my neutrality as a Vice-Chancellor, how could anyone have imagined to the extent of alleging that I was out to favour any candidate or political party in the Presidential Elections?
“To put the records straight, I began to receive several phone calls and text messages threatening, abusing and insulting my person and family on February 26, 2023 while I was on my way to Port Harcourt to report to duty not knowing that my photograph and phone number had already been circulated on the social media, especially Facebook and Twitter alleging that I had been detailed to influence votes and scores for Candidate(s) in the elections by manipulating the BVAS machines in Rivers State among others.”
Adias urged the public to discountenance all the misinformation and lies peddled about him in relation to the conduct of the 2023 Presidential Elections in Rivers State.
He stated that his patriotic zeal for the growth and development of the country would not be dampened, no matter the seeming discouragements.
He further said, “Trust me; there is no iota of truth in the rumours that had been peddled. It is just a figment of the imagination of their bearers to what end I cannot really ascertain.
“I want to urge us to discountenance all the misinformation and lies that have been peddled about me in relation to the conduct of the 2023 Presidential Elections in Rivers State. Let us be assured that my patriotic zeal for the growth and development of our dear country will not be dampened, no matter the seeming discouragements.”
Estimated reading time: 1 minute(s)
FOOTNOTE: Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 or email: platformtimes@gmail.com
