Six Division of the Nigerian Army has alleged that Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, attempted to induce its officers financially during the Presidential and National Assembly polls on Saturday.

During a news briefing in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Tuesday, which was televised live on national television, the army played an audio purported to be Governor Wike’s voice allegedly trying to compromise the officers.

Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Aminu Iliyasu, also claimed that some people who were paraded before the public at the briefing were arrested for their alleged involvement in election malpractice.

But the suspects who included some officials of the state government denied the allegations and faulted the army for parading them as criminals before the public.

Governor Wike has also denied the allegation of financial inducement by the 6 Division spokesperson, describing it as baseless.

INEC Electoral Officer of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Mary Imawuya, said the military personnel did not allow the ad hoc staff to carry out collation in their wards. She said, “Between 7pm and 8pm on Saturday, February 23, 2019, the military invaded INEC office at Isiokpo and they walked out every ad hoc staff that were there to present their results to the Collation Officers.

The evidence is still there. We took recordings.”Also speaking, INEC Electoral Officer for Emohua Local Government Area, Kenneth Etah, blamed the disruption of the collation process in the area on the shootings by the military.

“As I speak, I do not have any results to present for Emohua Local Government Area because collation did not take place,” he said. Sent on:9:35 pm.

Also, Wike says government has written to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Jamil Sarhem for crimes against humanity.

Governor Wike said this during a press conference in Port Harcourt during which he challenged the GOC 6 Division to explain his alleged involvement in the snatching of electoral materials and abduction of INEC staff during the Presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday.

The governor was speaking in reaction to what he described as the false allegations by the 6 Division that he tried to compromise soldiers of the Division, an allegation the governor described as false, malicious and diversionary.

Two INEC officials had accused the army of invading the Collation Centre at Emohua and Ikwerre Local Government Areas to allegedly snatch Presidential and National Assembly result sheets.

They claimed that as a result of the army’s action, the collation process was disrupted, leaving them without any results to present for the two local government areas.

The governor said: “We are doing a petition to the International Criminal Court. We are demanding justice for all those killed by the GOC and his lieutenants.

We have also sent a petition to the Chief of Army Staff on the criminal actions of the GOC.

“The governor described the press briefing by the 6 Division as being tantamount to a coup against a constituted authority.

According to him, “The Army cannot be a judge in their matter. You cannot parade officials on legal electoral duties. You cannot change the narrative. They have violated all known laws.”