The Labour Party has won the presidential election in Rivers State’s Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, one of the state’s largest councils.
The party easily defeated the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress, which finished second and third, respectively.
According to the results released by the Port Harcourt City Collation Officer, Prof Victoria Olumide, the LP received 62,451 votes, while the PDP and APC received 7,203 and 5,562 votes, respectively.
The vote polled by the APC in Port Harcourt city is a threat to the entire results so far collated, although Obio/Akpor, Governor Nyesom Wike’s LGA which had yet to be collated has the largest voting strength in the state.
The State Collation Officer for the presidential election, Prof Charles Adias, had said the three remaining LGAs may be taken tomorrow (Tuesday) if they were not ready.
Meanwhile, officials of some parties had invaded the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission along Aba Road, accusing the Port Harcourt City collation officer of bias.
This came after a mild drama at the entrance of the collation centre when the Port Harcourt City LGA collation officer was escorted into the premises by a team of security operatives.
But soon after her entry, there was pandemonium at the gate, as the police prevented a group of persons who tried to force themselves into the INEC building.
One of the agents while shouting said, “We will not accept the results because she mutilated them. She also ran away with our National Assembly results.”
But Adias had asked the protesting officials to present their grievances properly and through the appropriate channels.
The three LGAs yet to be collated are Degema, Ahoada East and Obio/Akpor.
The Labour Party has now won a total of five of the 20 LGAs so far collated.