APC which is not part of Rivers elections rejects INEC’s timeline for poll conclusion

Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday kicked against the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) date for the conclusion of the governorship and state Assembly elections in the state.

INEC had earlier on Thursday announced it will conclude Rivers State election which started on March 9 on April 13.

But River State chapter of APC, despite not being part of parties participating in the election, in a statement signed by its publicity secretary, Senibo Chris Finebone, expressed dismay over the decision of INEC.

It said “INEC has not shown sufficient good faith in the way it brought the collation to an abrupt stop without cogent, verifiable and convincing reasons.”

Different competent courts up to the Supreme Court, had banned the APC from fielding candidates in any elective position in the general elections. The ban followed the annulment of the party’s primary elections in the state.

The party however, had said it was supporting the governorship candidate of African Action Congress (AAC) in the election.

In its statement, the party decried that INEC had gone ahead to announce that collation for 17 LGAs had been concluded, “as against the records provided by our situation room.”

Finebone added, “And to make matters worse , INEC refused , failed or neglected to name the said 17 LGAs where it claimed collation had been concluded ,” the party maintained .

“INEC curiously announced that it has dropped four LGA Collation Officers confirmed to be PDP card-carrying members without the umpire clearing the air about the status of the LGA results that the four ad hoc personnel supposedly collated.

“So many questions come to mind. Could the four collation officers be unfit for the job while the collations they conducted are acceptable?

“Of course , that cannot be ! Why is INEC jittery or afraid to name the 17 LGAs if not for the simple reason that some underhand dealings might have taken place for which it is covering up ?

“With the violation of the collation process at the Obio/Akpor Collation Centre where government agents shot an Army captain and other soldiers in the process , why does it seem that INEC ’s body language is suggesting that Obio/ Akpor collation has been completed ?

“To the APC , INEC is up to some mischief clearly pointing to a clear determination to rig the overall result of the March 9 elections in favour of Governor Nyesom Wike and the PDP .

“The signs are visible enough to the blind and loud enough to the deaf. All the shenanigans so far exhibited by INEC only go to confirm that fear .

“In any case, the APC will subject the recent announcement by INEC to meticulous scrutiny after which the party ’s position will further be made public,” the statement read.

By Ebere Ndukwu. . . 

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