INEC Rules Out Fresh Guber Polls In Rivers

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has ruled out the conduct of fresh governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers State.

This is as the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Biokpomabo Awara, walked out of the stakeholders’ meeting organised by INEC to continue the suspended March 9 elections in the state.

The meeting, which held at an event centre, located along Eastern Bye-Pass, Port Harcourt, was boycotted by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Labour Party (LP).

Speaking at the meeting, INEC National Commissioner in-charge of Bayelsa, Rivers and Edo States, May Agbamuche-Mbu, emphasised that a fresh election would not be conducted in the state.

Agbamuche-Mbu, who stated that the commission would resume collation in Rivers State on April 2, 2019, said the objective of the meeting is to brief stakeholders on the activities and schedule of the collation by the electoral body.

In his remarks at the meeting, Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, who dismissed insinuations that the state is prone to violence, advocated the non involvement of the military during elections to guarantee free, fair, credible and peaceful elections in the country.

Wike urged the commission to publish the list of security personnel that would be stationed at the collation centre to avoid disruption of the process.

Also in his remarks, the state commissioner of police, Usman Balel, who assured that the police is committed to providing adequate security for the people, called on stakeholders to embrace peace and accept the outcome of the process .

Earlier in his welcome remarks, INEC Administrative Secretary in the state, Etim Umoh, said the commission is in possession of collated results of the March 9 election from 17 local government areas in the state.

Umoh listed the local government areas to include; Ahoada-East, Akuku-Toru, Bonny, Obio-Akpor, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni, Opobo/Nkoro, Ogu/Bolo, Ikwerre,  Emohua, Okrika, Oyigbo, Eleme, Andoni, Omuma, Tai, Etche and Port Harcourt City.

He said collation of results would take place in six local government areas, including: Abua-Odual, Asari-Toru, Gokana, Ahoada-West, Khana and Degema.

The administrative secretary, who stated that the issue before INEC is collation of results, explained that before the suspension, some local government areas had already started collection.

Insisting that it is the duty of INEC to call erring staff to order, Umoh noted that it is on this premise the process was suspended.

He stated that the collation would hold at INEC headquarters in Port Harcourt between April 2 and April 5, while warning that only names of agents already submitted would be accepted.