Ime Akpan
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the report on the March 9 governorship and house of assembly elections held in Rivers State saying soldiers and armed gangs were used to intimidate and unlawfully arrest its (INEC’s) staff during the election.
It would be recalled that the commission had suspended all electoral processes in the state following widespread violence that characterised the exercise
In a statement released on the commission’s Twitter handle signed by INEC’s national commissioner and chairman of its information and voter education committee, Mr. Festus Okoye, the commission there was widespread disruption of collation of results of the elections.
Subsequently, he said INEC set up a fact-finding committee to assess the situation and report back within 48 hours.
Okoye said the commission had resolved to engage the security agencies at the national level and the inter-agency consultative committee at the state level to demand neutrality and professionalism of security personnel in order to secure a peaceful environment for the completion of the elections.
However, Okoye said the commission “will engage the security agencies at the national level and the IACC at the State level to demand neutrality and professionalism of security personnel in order to secure a peaceful environment for the completion of the elections.”
“On March 10 2019, the commission suspended all electoral processes in Rivers State having determined that there was widespread disruption of collation of results of the elections conducted on March 9 2019. Subsequently, the commission set up a fact-finding committee to assess the situation and report back within 48 hours.
“The commission met on March 15, 2019, and considered the report of the committee and established that the governorship and State Assembly elections took place in most of the polling units and results were announced.
“The results from 17 local governments out of 23 are available and are in the commission’s custody. The declaration and returns for 21 state constituencies out of 32 were made prior to the suspension.
“Collation centres were invaded by some soldiers and armed gangs resulting in the intimidation and unlawful arrest of election officials thereby disrupting the collation process.
“Consequent upon the foregoing, the commission expresses its displeasure with the role played by some soldiers and armed gangs in Rivers State disrupting the collation process and attempting to subvert the will of the people.
“The commission is committed to expeditious completion of the collation process where results of the elections have been announced. We will engage the security agencies at the national level and the IACC at the State level to demand neutrality and professionalism of security personnel in order to secure a peaceful environment for the completion of the elections.
“We will also engage with key stakeholders in Rivers State with a view to ensuring a smooth and peaceful completion of the process. INEC issue detailed timelines and activities for the completion of the election on Wednesday, March 20, 2019,” INEC.
But in its reaction, the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) faulted INEC for berating the military saying if the military did not intervened no election would have been held in the state.
The director of strategic communications of Tonye Cole Campaign Organisation, Mr. Tonye Princewill, who stated this in Port Harcourt, took a swipe at INEC saying its (INEC’s) statement could easily have been drafted in collaboration with the Rivers State government.
“We’ve seen the statement issued by INEC and I stand by my earlier comment that even if they tried, INEC can’t save Wike. Apart from spelling mistakes, the vague statement reveals a lot of things about an umpire that doesn’t pay attention to finer details, refuses to take any responsibility for its failures and yet goes on to equate moral equivalence between the Nigerian Army and common thugs.
“That ludicrous position is where they reveal their true colours. The statement could easily have been drafted in collaboration with Rivers State Government House. Let me reiterate again that without the Army, Rivers State would have been a bloodbath. Just like with INEC, we too have more to reveal in the days to come.
“Let’s not say too much. There is an old African proverb that says if the mouth goes to war too early, when the leg arrives, the enemy will grab it,” he said.
