Rivers: INEC replaces Prof. Briggs Port Harcourt LGA Electoral Officer over death threats

Collation Officer for Port Harcourt City local government area, of Rivers State, Professor Mrs. Omiete Briggs has been replaced over death threats by unknown persons.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner of Independent National Electoral Commission INEC Rivers State, Dr. Johnson Alalibo Sinikiem announced her replacement the Collation Officer following persistent death threats to her life.

According to husband of Professor Mrs Omiete Briggs, Dr. Amoniya Briggs, his wife has been receiving a death threats from some people because she refused to tamper and compromise with the results of the Saturday, February 25 Presidential and National Assembly.

INEC has confirmed that there have been death threats to eliminate Prof. Briggs since the day she presented her report of Council area election results in just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Prof. Briggs was supposed to continue her role as Collation Officer for Port Harcourt City local government during the Saturday March 11 Govership and House of Assembly election, but Commission had ask her to stop for the sake of her security.

It would be recalled that her husband had raised the alarm over continued threats to the life of his wife.

While speaking to journalists at the Nigerian Union of Journalists secretariat in Port Harcourt, Rivers state on Monday, March 6, the husband, Dr Amoniia Lulu-Briggs, said his wife has received a series of death threats from unknown persons for standing by the truth.

On February 27 during the collation of results from the Presidential and National Assembly elections polls, a group of men had besieged the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission along Aba Road, Port Harcourt, accusing Prof Briggs of manipulating and running away with the Port Harcourt City Local Government election results. Mrs. Briggs had to be escorted into the INEC premises by armed security operatives who shielded her from being attacked.

After the collation, Peter Obi won the Port Harcourt LG with 62,450 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) garnered 7,203 votes and the All Progressives Congress (APC) 5,562 votes.

During his interview with Journalists, Briggs said there had been strange human and vehicular movements around their residence, adding that the threats had spiraled to the university campus where his wife teaches.

“There has been a viral video, where it emanated from we don’t know but we feel that it was something done within the confines of INEC. During the elections, she was under so much pressure to act otherwise. However, because of her belief and her faith, she stood by the results and declared what the people voted for. Now, in as much as we thank Nigerians for calling and commending her, on the flip side, there have been so many threats and unknown numbers calling, threatening her left, right and centre. She came to serve her country. The purpose of this briefing is to let the security agencies, especially the Inspector General of Police and INEC know what is happening.

The husband of the Port Harcourt City Local Government Area Collation Officer for the February 25 presidential election, Professor Omiete Briggs, has raised the alarm over continued threats to the life of his wife.

While speaking to journalists at the Nigerian Union of Journalists secretariat in Port Harcourt, Rivers state on Monday, March 6, the husband, Dr Amoniia Lulu-Briggs, said his wife has received a series of death threats from unknown persons for standing by the truth.

Recall that on February 27 during the collation of results from the Presidential and National Assembly elections polls, a group of men had besieged the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission along Aba Road, Port Harcourt, accusing Prof Briggs of manipulating and running away with the Port Harcourt Local Government Area election results. Mrs. Briggs had to be escorted into the INEC premises by armed security operatives who shielded her from being attacked.

After the collation, Peter Obi won the Port Harcourt LG with 62,450 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) garnered 7,203 votes and the All Progressives Congress (APC) 5,562 votes.

During his interview with newsmen, Briggs said there had been strange human and vehicular movements around their residence, adding that the threats had spiraled to the university campus where his wife teaches.

“There has been a viral video, where it emanated from we don’t know but we feel that it was something done within the confines of INEC. During the elections, she was under so much pressure to act otherwise. However, because of her belief and her faith, she stood by the results and declared what the people voted for. Now, in as much as we thank Nigerians for calling and commending her, on the flip side, there have been so many threats and unknown numbers calling, threatening her left, right and centre. She came to serve her country. The purpose of this briefing is to let the security agencies, especially the Inspector General of Police and INEC know what is happening,” husband of Prof. Briggs.