RIVERS RERUN:INEC declares Rivers assembly polls inconclusive

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Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission has
suspended all the election in all constituencies in the state. In a
statement late on Sunday, the commission said it ordered the
suspension, pending the receipt of a comprehensive report from
its field officials and monitors.

INEC had already cancelled election in eight local councils in the
state because of violence.
Clarifying it’s latest order, INEC said “the suspension does not
affect constituencies where the exercise has been completed and
the results declared by the returning officers”.
No result so far has been declared officially in the rerun poll for
state and national Assembly seats.

But INEC said results are ready in one Federal Constituency and
11 state assembly seats. Elaborating on the suspension, INEC’s
Director in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole
Osaze-Uzzi, said: “Rather unfortunately, some of these elections
witnessed the disruption of the process, including the barricading
of some of the INEC Local Government offices and Registration
Area Centres (RACs) used for the distribution of Electoral
materials which led to the late commencement of the exercise in
some places and consequently, its smooth take off.

“Of more serious concern was the level of threats, violence and
intimidation of election officials and voters by well-armed thugs
and miscreants allegedly acting on behalf of some politicians,
which marred the elections in some areas.

“There were reports of numerous attacks resulting in fatalities,
kidnappings, ballot snatching, diversion of officials and materials,
amongst others, which necessitated its suspension in eight Local
Government Areas.

“Regrettably, such deviant behaviour has continued today. Several
permanent and ad hoc staff engaged have been attacked, again
resulting in fatalities, while some have been forcibly abducted and
taken to presently unknown destinations”.

Mr Osaze-Uzzi, stressed that under such difficult circumstance,
the Returning Officers were only able to collate and declare
results in one Federal and nine State constituencies where the
disruption and malpractices were not so widespread.

“Having reviewed the situation, the Commission is compelled to
suspend all further action concerning the exercise in all the other
constituencies in the State pending the receipt of a
comprehensive report from its Field Officials and Monitors.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it should be noted that the
suspension does not affect the constituencies where the exercise
has been completed and the results declared by the Returning
Officers”.

INEC had earlier suspended election in eight local government
areas of the state. Addressing reporters earlier on Sunday the
Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, said that the
cancelation was due to irregularities at the affected local
government areas. Election held in Etche and Asari-Toru Local
Government Areas were the latest to be cancelled.

In a press statement, the INEC said: “Further to our earlier
pronouncement on the suspension of the re-run in the six Local
Government Areas of Khana, Bonny, Gokana, Andoni, Tai and
Eleme, following disturbances and violence that impeded the
electoral process in those parts of the state, it has become
necessary to suspend elections in Etche and Asari-Toru LGAs for
the same reasons.

“Please note that the suspension of the re-run elections by INEC
is necessitated by the need to forestall breakdown of law and
order in the event of further aggravation of crisis.
“INEC needs to put all stakeholders on notice that we are still
studying the situation in the other fifteen LGAs, where collations
are currently going on”.


~PM News