Connect with us

Politics

How rerun polls ended in fiasco in 6 Rivers LGAs

Published

on

Melaye's recall: INEC complies with court order

The much anticipated rerun polls ended in fiasco for six Rivers LGAs as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Saturday cancelled the elections because of irregularities. The Commission had earlier announced that the elections were being suspended in 4 LGAs when it became apparent that security concerns did not create room for the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.
Nigerian courts had ruled, when the results of the 2015 elections into the Rivers state assembly and the National Assembly in Abuja were challenged, that the outcomes were not admissible because they largely did not meet the stipulated electoral standards.
Speaking to journalists in Port-Harcourt, Rivers electoral commissioner, Aneidi Ikoiwak said that polls were suspended in Gokana, Khana, Andoni, Bonny, Eleme and Tai due to “irregularities” during Saturday’s voting.
However, the rerun polls held in the remaining 17 of 23 local government areas with little or very insignificant disruptions.
INEC officials alleged that some party agents had attacked electoral officials after accusing them of using fake election materials for the vote.
“This allegation is untrue. All election materials used by INEC are genuine. A new date will be announced for the election,” the official said.
There had been wide-spread reports that the polls were marred by violence in some areas, with at least four people being killed, but the police said nobody had died.
“There were some skirmishes here and there and we have contained the situation. At least 12 suspects are in our custody,” state police spokesman Ahmad Muhammad told AFP.
The violence that marked Saturday rerun polls in Rivers state were largely not unexpected as the two leading parties – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) had set the stage with hate speeches, led principally by two prominent politicians from the state, the current governor, Nyensom Wike and former governor, Rotimi Amaechi,, now Minister of Transport.
In the run up to the elections, and even during the campaigns, it had become very apparent that both men were on an ego trip and had dug deep into political trenches to defend perceived conquered territories or push known enemies away from their areas of stronghold.
PDP controls the oil-rich state but the APC-led central government in Abuja seeks to oust it from power.
On Thursday, the military said suspected sea pirates killed two soldiers in a gun battle, as tensions rose ahead of Saturday’s polls.

 

Ripples Nigeria…without borders, without fears.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now