PORT HARCOURT: An overnight curfew was imposed in Nigeria’s southern Rivers state as tensions ran high over local results of the country’s general election, the state government said on Monday.

Information commissioner Ibim Semenitari said the lock-down, from 7pm to 6am was “to prevent the breakdown of law and order because of the tense political situation”.

Rivers state in the oil-producing Delta is considered a key battleground for the presidential election, which is seen as the closest in the country’s history.

The national main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged vote-rigging by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and election officials at the weekend vote.

Some 2,000 female APC supporters attempted to register their complaints with electoral officials in the state capital, Port Harcourt, but were teargassed by police, reporters said.

Armed police and soldiers prevented the women, who were all dressed in black, from entering the offices, forcing them to disperse and reassemble at the government headquarters.

“What happened today was unprecedented,” said APC women leader Victoria Nyeche, a local lawmaker.

“The police teargassed and injured some of us during a peaceful protest at INEC (Independent Natio­nal Electoral Commission).

“All we want is a fresh election because what happened on Saturday was a fraud. “A South African non-governmental organisation, Pan African Women Projects, which observed the elections in the state, expressed anger at the teargassing of the protesters”.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2015

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