The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed April 2 and 5 as resumption date for the collation and announcements of results for the governorship election in Rivers State.
The commission’s national commissioner and chairman of its information and voter education committee, Mr. Festus Okoye, who announced this at a press conference held in Abuja yesterday also said supplementary elections, where necessary, would take place on April 13, while issuance of all outstanding certificates of return would be concluded on April 19.
“The commission set up a fact-finding committee that visited Rivers State and submitted its report, which revealed that while election could not hold in a few areas, it was successfully concluded in others with the declaration of winners in 21 state constituencies. Collation was ongoing at the time of the suspension of the process.
“Following the violent disruption of the electoral process in Rivers State during the governorship and National Assembly elections, the commission has outlined activities and timelines of resumption and conclusion of the process. The timelines for the activities are as follows:
“On March 19, 2019, the commission will have some engagement with security agencies in relation to some of these supplementary elections and also in relation to the elections in Rivers State. That one has already been concluded.
“On March 29, the commission will hold what we call the Inter Agency Consultative Committee meeting on security. This will take place in Rivers State. Then there after on March 30, 2019 in Port Harcourt, there will be a meeting of critical stakeholders in the electoral process.
“Thereafter the commission will issue guidelines for resumption of collation of results and these guidelines will be issued from the headquarters of the commission here in Abuja.
“We are also going to have what we call the revalidation of polling agents and observers for collation of results. This revalidation will commence on March 25, and end on March 31, 2019 and it will take place simultaneously in Rivers and Abuja.
“Then, thereafter there will be resumption of collation and announcement of result and this will take place between April 2 and 5, 2019 and it will take place in Port Harcourt. The venue for this particular activity will be agreed upon within the commission and the critical stakeholders in the electoral process.
“Then, on April 13, there will be supplementary elections where necessary then thereafter there will be an announcement of all rests between April 13 and 15, 2019. And then April 19, 2019 will be the date for the issuance of all outstanding certificates of return in relation to all these activities of election,” said Okoye.
