The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said the result sheets on last Saturday’s National and State Assembly rerun elections in Rivers State are genuine.
Its Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Rivers State, Aniedi Ikoiwak, spoke in Port Harcourt, the state capital, when he addressed reporters on the outcome of the polls.
Ikoiwak urged politicians to allow INEC conduct free, fair and credible polls to boost the nation’s democracy.
The REC described as untrue the allegations that INEC dispatched fake result sheets for the elelction.
He challenged anybody peddling such rumour to substantiate it.
Ikoiwak said: “I know that I have said this several times and I am saying it again that INEC printed only one result sheet for the rerun elections in Rivers State. A fake (result sheet) can only be an imitation of the original. If you have only one and that one is the original, I don’t know where the imitation or fake can come from again.
“There was nothing like fake result sheets. I challenge anybody that claims that fake result sheets were dispatched in the elections to produce both documents and show us which is the original and which is the fake with their serial numbers.”
The REC condemned what he called the politics of desperation in the state.
He said INEC was determined to conduct credible elections across the country, if politicians allowed the process to prevail.
Ikoiwak said: “The attitude of politicians in the state and Nigeria needs to change. Their mindsets also need to change. They must know that INEC is out and ready to conduct free and credible elections. Unfortunately, a lot of people think that elections can be won on the number of guns you have, the number of bullets you shoot and the number of mercenary you put in place and the youths you recruit to shoot.
“If that interposes on what we are trying to do here, I don’t think it is right. I would want Nigerians, including Rivers State residents, to change their attitude towards elections. An election is a civic duty. We should be worried that anytime we have to close down every sector of the security to move it to do elections, this should worry all Nigerians. When we reflect on all of this, even the politicians will be able to think.”