The Nigerian Army has told the Rivers State Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal that the April 11, 2015 governorship election was aborted by hijacking of electoral materials and sporadic shootings in four local government areas in the state, Punch reports.    

Four army officers appeared before the tribunal on Thursday following the subpoena served on the Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Tukur Buratai.

They said they led separate army patrol troops in Abua/Odual, Ikwerre, Gokana and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas of the state.

The witnesses were Captain Sadiq Abubakar (leader of the patrol troop in ‎Abual/Odua); Captain Fred Bala (leader of the patrol troop in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni), Isa Al-Makura ( leader of the troop in Ikwerre) and Captain Jeremiah Salihu (leader of the troop in Gokana).

The subpoena served on Buratai was obtained from the tribunal by the All Progressives Congress and its candidate in the election, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, who are, by their petition, challenging the declaration of Governor Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party as winner of the poll.

Earlier on Wednesday, another captain of the army, Garba Sani, ‎who led an army of patrol troops in Tai Local Government Area during the election, appeared before the tribunal, and said the same thing.

Captain Al-Makura, who patrolled Ikwerre LGA with 30 soldiers, said he visited all the parts of the area, including Omerelu, Ubima, Apani, Alu, Ozuaha and Isokpo‎, the local government headquarters, and never noticed anywhere voting took place on the election day.

The army officers also denied allegations leveled against them by the respondents’ lawyers that they appeared before the tribunal in order to help the APC.