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Tag: Inec

  • Rivers Collation: Police to deploy personnel, shut Aba road

    Rivers Police Command on Monday said it has commenced the deployment of personnel to strategic areas and collation centres for election results collation scheduled to begin in the state on Tuesday.

    The Command’s Spokesman, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, made this known in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on March 21, announced the resumption of collation and announcement of results in the state between April 2 and April 5.

    According to Omoni, the decision to deploy personnel was reached following a meeting between the state Police Commissioner and the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).

    “ICCES agreed to put in place adequate security measures to ensure that the entire process is transparent and seamlessly carried out.

    “Part of the security measures that were agreed include massive deployment of police personnel and other sister security agencies to the venue and the outer perimeter of collation centres.

    Omoni said that Waterlines and GRA junction axis of Port Harcourt/Aba Express Road, would be shut to traffic during the duration of the exercise.

    READ ALSO: Rivers: Controversy over poll result collation

    He said that both lanes of the road would be closed to motorists, advising road users to divert to Olu Obansanjo and Polo Club Roads.

    “The police note with concern the temporary hardship the closure will cause. We appeal to the public to show understanding and bear with us.

    “The closure is done in the overall interest of the public, as well as to provide a conducive atmosphere for the collation.

    “Politicians, candidates and indeed unauthorised persons, are warned to stay clear from the collation centres,” he said.

    The police spokesperson warned that any individual or group seen undermining the process would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the Electoral Act.

    Omoni solicited for the cooperation and support of the public towards a successful conduct of the exercise.

  • Hacking INEC server is as an act of terrorism, says Lawyer

    Dr Kayode Ajulo, a constitutional lawyer says hacking computer server of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is as an act of terrorism.

    Ajulo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja that the provisions of cyber crime act 2015 recognised INEC sever as one of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII).

    He added that such act of unlawful access to INEC sever amounted to a crime if tampered with in any way without authorisation

    According to him, based on the provision of the law, INEC server contains sensitive information about the elections which comes within the definition of CNII.

    Ajulo noted that hacking or employing any person to hack into the server of an election umpire with the aimed of interfering with the electronically transmitted data to INEC Server comes within the definition of “acts of terrorism”.

    He stated that such act was a calculated attempt to destroy the fundamental political, constitutional, economic and social structures of a country.

    ”Unauthorised access of data in any country has a lot of implications and if allowed to go unchecked may herald a regime of lawlessness within the internet community.

    “The activities of this group of people and the damage they may cause cannot be quantified.

    ” It is in recognition of the incalculable nature of the havoc which they may wreak on this nation that the cybercrime Act 2015 recommend life imprisonment as penalty for tampering with CNII of the country.

    He stated that this was because the vital information might be used to misinform as well as incite the populace against the state.

    Ajulo said that the exigency of modern innovations in the field of computer networking has made the need for data protection.

    He added that this has been the paramount concern of every country seeking to curb the inroads of persons with sinister motives into the field.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has petitioned the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Department of State Service (DSS), accusing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of illegally accessing the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    In the petition dated March 25, and addressed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the DSS Director General, Festus Keyamo, spokesman of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, urged the security agencies to question the leadership of the PDP on their claims relating to the INEC server.

    Although he was not specific on the identities of the PDP leaders he wants investigated, Keyamo made reference to the fact that the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has filed an election petition against the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and has made a claim of having access to INEC server.

    He claimed that upon the postponement of the Feb. 16, presidential/National Assembly elections, already prepared presidential election results surfaced on the Internet.

    Keyamo accused the PDP of hacking into the INEC server and inputing false figures.

    He, therefore, called on the security agencies to respond to the petition with “alacrity”.

    Responding, the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, alleged that the APC was panicking because of the case instituted before the tribunal by the party and Atiku.

    He said this was why the ruling party was writing petitions to the DSS and the police.

  • Rivers APC kicks as INEC resumes collation of March 9 elections results

    The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has kicked against alleged plan by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to favour Governor Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Collation of results of the March 9 governorship and House of Assembly elections are resuming tomorrow in the Southsouth state.

    Ahead of the resumption, the party’s Publicity Secretary  Chris Finebone, yesterday in Port Harcourt, accused Wike of desperation to be re-elected, thereby depriving the state’s governorship candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), Biokpomabo Awara, of his mandate.

    The APC, which was stopped by the Supreme Court from fielding candidates in the state elections following internal dispute over party primaries, is backing the 40-year-old AAC standard bearer.

    INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Rivers, Bayelsa and Edo states, May Agbamuche-Mbu, a lawyer, stated in Port Harcourt at the weekend during a stakeholders’ meeting that the commission was not taking sides with any political party or candidate.

    Governor Wike and his AAC challenger Awara were among the stakeholders at the meeting.

    Agbamuche-Mbu also insisted that the results of the elections were not tampered with, but kept in INEC’s strong room, calling on Rivers residents to allow peace to reign in the state before, during and after the activities outlined for the conclusion of the controversial elections.

    Rivers APC, however, said: “We condemn in strong terms, the so-called timeline and activities to conclude the March 9 governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers State, as announced at the stakeholders meeting. It is a mere charade, well-organised and choreographed by INEC, in its bid to work from answer to question.

    “The ultimate result can only be to announce their (INEC’s) preferred partner and collaborator (Wike) as the winner, against the AAC’s governorship candidate (Awara), who was clearly in the lead before collation was aborted (on March 10). Whether INEC will succeed in its machinations will be seen in the days to come.

    “Several actions of INEC had prepared the minds of many that the entire exercise was skewed to favour Wike and the PDP, leaving in the process, several questions without answers.

    “How come that Wike knew about the 17 local government areas, which results had been allegedly collated and had posted same on his (Wike’s) official Twitter handle, long before INEC made the announcement? Answers to this and other questions will continue to hang on the neck of INEC like an albatross.”

    The APC blamed the logjam in the Rivers electoral process on what it called a tripartite collaboration between Wike and the INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Obo Effanga, ably assisted by the Administrative Secretary of the commission in Rivers, Elder Etim Umoh.

    But Wike, through his Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah, declared that APC’s accusation against him was meaningless and senseless.

    The Rivers commissioner, who doubles as PDP Campaign Council’s Information and Communications Director, said: “The APC’s accusation that INEC is favouring Governor Wike does not hold water. It is the same old song; empty, meaningless and senseless. Majority of Rivers people do not take the APC in the state seriously.

    “They (APC members in Rivers State) blame everybody, apart from themselves, for every problem. When they had internal problems that cost them their place in the ballot, they blamed others. When their adopted puppet in AAC could not win one unit in the state, because he was unknown and never campaigned, the APC blamed others.”

    Okah also stated that like a bad workman, who would always quarrel with his tools, leaders of the APC in Rivers would attempt to teach INEC, soldiers, police etc., how to do their job, accusing them of resorting to blackmail whenever they meet a brick wall.

    In his remarks at the stakeholders’ meeting on Saturday, the INEC administrative secretary said: “We have the results for these seventeen LGAs: Ahoada East, Akuku-Toru, Andoni, Bonny, Eleme, Emohua, Etche, Ikwerre, Obio/Akpor, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Ogu/Bolo, Okrika, Omuma, Opobo/Nkoro, Oyigbo, Port Harcourt and Tai. Their (17 LGAs) collation was at the local government level. Collation was not completed in the remaining six LGAs: Abua/Odual, Ahoada West, Asari-Toru, Degema, Gokana and Khana.

    “In Abua/Odual LGA, the materials and men did not even go out to the field. They were frustrated from going out and elections did not take place there. In Gokana LGA, materials and men went out to the field, but none came back, because there was outright violence and everything was destroyed. So, we do not have any result from there.

    “In Ahoada West LGA, out of about 100 polling units, we have results in only 24 and that is not good enough. Asari-Toru LGA was not concluded, but we have the polling units’ results available, but they were not collated. Degema LGA has 17 registration areas, which we call wards in INEC’s context, and collation took place in ten, remaining seven.

    “The seven wards, their results are in INEC’s strong room. In Khana LGA, there was no collation at the local government level, but we have results from the polling units and the collation from some wards available.”

    Umoh also disclosed that the collation, scheduled for between April 2 and 5, would hold at the INEC’s office on Aba Road, Port Harcourt.

    The Rivers Commissioner of Police, Usman Belel, also assured during the stakeholders’ meeting that there would be adequate security of lives and property of residents of the state before, during and after the collation of results.

    Belel, who is also the Chairman of the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in the state, expressed optimism that the collation would be hitch-free, in view of the stakeholders’ synergy.

    The Police chief said: “As it is usual in every contest, winners and losers must emerge, but the maturity with which the contest’s results is accepted, determines how peaceful the society can be.

    “I wish to appeal to all stakeholders to give peace a chance (in Rivers State) and be magnanimous, either in victory or in defeat, as there will still be Rivers State beyond these elections.”

  • ‘INEC should okay Ubah’s prosecution’

    Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Anambra South Senatorial District in the February 23 elections Christian Uba has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to grant his lawyer, Charles Oguejiofor, the authority to prosecute Ifeanyi Ubah and candidates of other parties for electoral offences.

    Ubah contested and won the election on the platform of the Young People’s Party (YPP).

    Uba’s request was contained in a March 28 letter written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Mahmood Yakubu.

    He said the request was informed by an earlier order of a Federal High Court in Awka, directing INEC to either prosecute Ifeanyi Ubah or appoint the applicant’s lawyers to do so.

    After the election, Christian Uba applied to the Federal High Court in Awka for, among others, an order of mandamus, compelling INEC to prosecute its Returning Officer, Prof M. N. Umenweke and Ifeanyi Ubah (listed as second and third respondents), for allegedly committing electoral offences.

    In his March 27 judgment, Justice I.B Gafai ordered INEC to, within 14 days, investigate the criminal allegations raised by Christian Uba in his application.

    Justice Gafai, in an enrolled order, said: “Upon the honourable court having delivered a considered judgment today (March 27), it is hereby ordered as follows:

    • The first respondent (INEC) shall, within 14 days from today, conduct or cause investigation into the criminal allegations of the applicant (Christian Uba).
    • Prosecute, if the investigation result so warrants, the third respondent (Ifeanyi Ubah) and any other person(s) implicated in its investigation.
    • Where it considers it inexpedient to prosecute through its legal officers, consider, at its liberty, the appointment of the applicant’s solicitors in this suit, for the purpose of such prosecution.”

    In his March 28 letter, Uba said his lawyers already possess enough facts to begin the prosecution and secure the conviction of all persons implicated in the alleged offences.

    He added: “It is not in doubt that the reason the unscrupulous persons still engage in electoral offences is that they are hardly prosecuted, and so nobody is deterred from engaging in such acts brazenly and with impunity in succeeding elections.

    “We are ready, upon invitation, to meet you or any of your officials, to brief you on the extensive investigation we have done so far in the matter; the facts we have unearthed so far to convince you that, as we did say above, we shall secure conviction of every person incriminated in any of the criminal allegations against the second and third respondents or any other person incriminated in any electoral offences.”

  • INEC and inconclusive polls palaver

    SIR; Section 153(1)(f) established the Independent National Electoral Commission as a statutory body. In Paragraph 15 of the Third Schedule (Part 1), the constitution distinctively empowers the Commission to – (a) organize, undertake and supervise all elections to the offices of the president and vice-president, the governor and deputy governor of a state, and to the membership of the senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly of each state of the federation. I

    By the aforementioned clauses, INEC is indisputably, statutorily competent to provide guidelines, rules and regulations governing presidential, governorship, National and House of Assembly, and elections in FCT.

    If universal suffrage remains the hallmark of democracy, could disenfranchising some voters under the guise of cancellation synchronize with social justice knowing it deprives some citizens their votes in choosing their leaders?

    INEC’s 2019 Regulations and Guidelines in Paragraph 33(b) provides – “Where the total number of registered voters in the affected Polling Units is less than the margin by which the leading candidate is ahead of the second candidate, indicating that the outcome of the election will not be affected by the supplementary election, the returning officer shall announce the result”.

    On the other hand, Paragraph 33(e) states – “Where the margin of lead between the two leading candidates in an election is NOT in excess of the total number of voters registered in Polling Units where elections are not held or voided in line with Sections 26 and 53 of the Electoral Act, the returning officer shall decline to make a return until polls have taken place in the affected Polling Units and the results collated into the relevant forms for Declaration and Return. This is the Margin of Lead Principle and shall apply wherever necessary in making returns of all elections to which these Regulations and Guidelines apply”.

    Clearly, these rules didn’t indicate any mischief or witch-hunt against any candidate but a general guideline to ensure all votes credibly count. Again, in legal jurisprudence, “Qui approbat non reprobat” translates – One who approbates cannot reprobate. By submitting to INEC’s regulations and guidelines, there is no basis to contest the clause when it seemingly doesn’t favour a candidate amid the poll, without any distinctly inconsistency with the Constitution.

    Above all, the apex court in Faleke v INEC & Anor (SC.648/2016) NGSC 1 (29 Sept, 2016) had laid the matter to rest. The judgment is convincingly a landslide for democracy. The Margin of Lead Principle is phenomenal. Convincingly, it strategically produces a factual winner. Arguably, the umpire’s Regulations and Guidelines aren’t inconsistent; instead resoundingly complement the constitutional provisions for the aforesaid categories of elections, thus, typically a non sequitur to cry foul over a part of well-known rules amid a game.

    INEC is conceivably, merely conscientiously proactive.

    • Carl Umegboro <umegborocarl@gmail.com>

  • APC kicks as INEC resumes collation of Rivers gov poll

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has kicked against plans by top officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to favour Governor Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during tomorrow’s resumption of collation of results of March 9 governorship and House of Assembly elections.

    Its Rivers Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, also accused Wike of desperation to be re-elected.

    The party said: “We condemn in strong terms, the so-called timeline and activities to conclude the March 9 governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers State, as announced at the stakeholders meeting.

    “It is a mere charade, well-organised and choreographed by INEC, in its bid to work from answer to question.

    “The ultimate result can only be to announce their (INEC’s) preferred partner and collaborator (Wike) as the winner against the AAC’s governorship candidate (Awara), who was clearly in the lead before collation was aborted (on March 10).

    “Whether INEC will succeed in its machinations will be seen in the days to come.

    Read also: APC leaders adopt Obaseki as sole candidate for 2020 Edo election

    “Several actions of INEC had prepared the minds of many that the entire exercise was skewed to favour Wike and the PDP, leaving in the process, several questions without answers.

    “How come that Wike knew about the 17 local government areas, which results had been allegedly collated and had posted same on his (Wike’s) official Twitter handle, long before INEC made the announcement?

    “Answers to this and other questions will continue to hang on the neck of INEC like an albatross.”

    The main opposition APC also stated that what was happening in Rivers state was in complete fulfilment of the tripartite collaboration between Wike, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Obo Effanga and Administrative Secretary, Elder Etim Umoh.

    But Wike dismissed the allegations as senseless and meaningless.

    Speaking through Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah, the governor said: “The APC’s accusation that INEC is favouring Governor Wike does not hold water.

    “It is the same old song; empty, meaningless and senseless. Majority of Rivers people do not take the APC in the state seriously.

    “They (APC members in Rivers State) blame everybody, apart from themselves, for every problem. When they had internal problems that cost them their place in the ballot, they blamed others.

    “When their adopted puppet in AAC could not win one unit in the state, because he was unknown and never campaigned, the APC blamed others.”

  • A’Ibom APC: INEC tampering with materials

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom has claimed it has concrete evidence the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state has started doctoring election materials.

    The party claimed that it is in custody of a text message sent by the INEC’s state administrative secretary, one Mr. Patta, summoning staff of the commission to duty on Sunday to ‘work’ on election materials.

    A statement by the state publicity secretary of APC, Mr. Nkereuwem Enyonekere, alleged: “A text message sent to some staff this Sunday morning by the Secretary Admin, Mr. Patta, says: ‘Good morning Sir. Please kindly come to the office now as some people are expected to work on election materials. Thanks, Secretary Admin’’.

    The party alleged the INEC Resident National Electoral Commission (REC), Mike Igini, is tampering with the governorship/State House of Assembly election materials of  March 9, 2019 to frustrate the petition filed by its governorship candidate, Obong Nsima Ekere.

    The statement reads: “The Independent National Electoral Commission office in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State has summoned its staff to work on Sunday, March 31 ‘to work on election materials’.

    Read also: Emmanuel mocks pastors who predicted he won’t be reelected

    “We believe that INEC officials are being summoned to the office by Mr. Patta to tamper with or destroy evidence related to the 2019 general election.

    “This is obviously prompted by the filling of a petition last week at the Akwa Ibom Election Petition Tribunal by Mr. Nsima Ekere, the APC governorship candidate in the March 9 election, challenging the fraudulent announcement of Udom Emmanuel as the winner. Other APC candidates have also filed their petitions”.

    The APC recalled it had months leading up to the elections joined voices with notable Akwa Ibom people and had written to the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmud Yakubu, requesting the redeployment of Igini.

    According to the party, the REC was a deeply compromised electoral officer, who through his actions and statements gave him away as being sympathetic and partial to Governor. Udom Emmanuel, and the PDP.

    It regretted that the request was not granted.

    “The bias of Mr Igini in favour of the PDP showed through his conduct of the election as evidenced in the collusion and connivance of INEC staff and ad hoc staff with the PDP”.

    Responding, Igini denied authorising the doctoring of election materials, saying all materials used in the conduct of the March 9 elections are safe.

    Igini, who spoke through the state publicity officer of INEC, Mr. Don Etukudoh, said all political parties are free to inspect election

    materials to confirm if they have been destroyed or doctored.

    “The APC in the state has been consistent in their accusations against the commission so we are not surprised.

    “The commission in the state under Mr. Igini has a lot of integrity and would not succumb to blackmail,” he said.

  • APA to Buhari: don’t forget your promise to run inclusive govt

    The Vice Presidential candidate of the African People’s Alliance (APA), Prince Adesoji Adeleke Masilo, has reminded President Mohammadu Buhari not to forget his campaign promise to run an all-inclusive government.

    Advising him not see his victory as a “winner takes all,” he said he must live up to his promise to give appointments to members of other political parties, particularly those that supported him and the All Progressives Congress to achieve victory.

    Masilo, who commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a statement made available to The Nation, for conducting free, fair and credible general elections, said the military and the legal profession backgrounds of Buhari and Osinbajo, will help Nigeria overcome insecurity and imbibe democratic values.

    According to him, the re-election of the President Mohammadu Buhari and his vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, is a perfect combination for the nation’s solid foundation for good governance.

    Read also: INEC presents Certificates of Return to Bauchi governor-elect, 31 Lawmakers

    He expressed confidence in all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) recently elected during the February and March general elections, including the governors-elect, to support the Buhari/Osinbajo administration in taking the nation out of the woods.

    He said: “President Buhari’s background in the military and that of his vice, Osinbajo, in the legal profession will help the nation’s re-establish discipline and respect for human dignity long lost in this nation. Both of them, no doubt, will give us necessary development, dividends of democracy and also take us to the next level.”

    Masilo commended INEC for “technically sorting out issues in very critical and volatile states, where there had been established electoral infractions.”

  • Rivers Polls: Wike, AAC’s Awara clash at stakeholders meeting

    The two men claiming victory in the March 9 inconclusive governorship election in Rivers State met face to face yesterday in Port Harcourt, launching straight into diatribe on who between them should be sworn in on May 29.

    Governor Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who is seeking a second term, and Biokpomabo Awara  of the African Action Congress (AAC), met at a stakeholders meeting convened by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the  planned made-up election to determine the next governor of the state.

    Awara accused Wike and INEC of doctoring results of the bloody governorship and House of Assembly elections of March 9 in the state while the governor countered by saying the AAC candidate and his backers in the All Progressives Congress (APC) were  promoting violence and scaring investors from the state.

    The AAC candidate said he was “surprised that the leaders of political parties involved in the elections were not asked questions by members of INEC’s five-man fact-finding committee.”

    He added: “I doubt the reliability of the doctored result sheets and other electoral materials with INEC in the last three weeks. We have record of some of the results being mutilated, particularly that of Akuku-Toru LGA.

    “REC of INEC in Rivers State has refused to give reasons for changing the four compromised electoral officers of the commission, who lack integrity for being card-carrying members of PDP.

    “If the violence made the March 9 elections not to be credible, according to INEC, where did the commission get results for the 17 LGAs  of Rivers 23 LGAs in the INEC’s possession?

    “At what point did the elections become violence-free, for the commission to now have results for 17 LGAs? Why has INEC refused to release the results of the 17 LGAs it claims to have and the remaining six LGAs it wants to do supplementary election?”

    Wike faulted Awara for suggesting that the state was violent.

    “I do not agree that Rivers is a violent state. Rivers State has never and it will not be a violent State,” he fired back.

    Continuing, he said: “the problem we have in this country, when people start to raise the alarm, over things that may likely happen, most of the things we always say, they are always crying. “Why are they raising too much alarm? What causes violence? Why is there violence each time there is election? The only way to have peaceful elections is when the security agencies refuse to interfere or manipulate any process.

    “How did people die? When INEC would go and collate results and people would resist and when people resist, they will shoot them.

    “Rivers is not a violent state. It is most unfortunate that people would leave their state, come to another state, instead of them to make sure what obtains in their state obtains here, they do not want it, they want to cause problems for us.

    “With all due respect, the Garrison Commander (Brig.-Gen. Adeola Kalejaiye) is here. Throughout my political career of not less than 30 years, I have never experienced the type of roles the army played. We must tell people the simple truth.

    “INEC set up a committee in 2016, during and after the reruns, where it was stated in your report that certain police officer manhandled your electoral official. He even went as far as naming the police officer. What has happened, as INEC? You could have said you did not want that kind of officer again. The same officer was also implicated in your report in these elections. Who are the people causing the violence?

    “Rivers State in not violent when they are drilling crude oil. Why must the violence be during the period of elections? Who are those responsible, in order to tell them? INEC can insist on not requiring the services of the violent security personnel; that is the only way we can have peaceful, free and fair elections in Rivers State. Let the army personnel remove their hands from elections. It is unfortunate that we had some people demonstrating and thanking the Nigerian Army for a job well done. That is Nigeria for us.

    “Who are the security personnel that will be in charge of the collation (between April 2 and 5)? Let us avoid sermon. You do not preach to me what you will not practise. The onus is on the security agencies to help INEC to do the right things, in order to achieve the results the commission wants to achieve. Rivers State is a peaceful state. Nobody should be driving away investors from us. Let the personnel of Nigerian Army remove their hands from electoral process.”

    The National Commissioner of INEC in charge of Rivers, Bayelsa and Edo States, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, who chaired the stakeholders’ meeting in the absence of INEC chairman Professor Mahmoud Yakubu urged Rivers residents to allow peace to reign before, during and after the activities outlined for the conclusion of the controversial elections.

    She said that the elections were suspended on March 10, due to the high-level of violence that occurred during the March 9, 2019 polls in Rivers.

    Her words:”We do not have any other state, apart from Rivers State, to call our own. Let us join hands together to make Rivers State even greater. On the part of the commission, I wish to assure you of our commitment to free, fair and credible elections. We intend to keep these promises. May God, in His kindness, grant Rivers State perpetual peace.

    “The results of the March 9 elections in Rivers State are with us (INEC) in our strong room and they have not been tampered with.

    “A five-man fact-finding committee was therefore set up to ascertain the nature and verify the report of obstructive and lawless activities that generally attended the elections at the state collation centre, other collation centres and polling areas, occasioning the suspension. I was a member of the fact-finding committee. So, I know what I am talking about.

    “The main objective of this meeting is to brief you on the schedule of activities and timeline, set by the commission for the conclusion of the governorship and state House of Assembly elections, and to solicit for your maximum cooperation towards the success of this exercise. It is also to generate discussions among the stakeholders, with a view to achieving transparent, peaceful and violence-free conclusion of the elections, within the timeline set by the commission.”

    Also in attendance at yesterday’s meeting ahead of the Tuesday  resumption of collation of results of  the March 9 governorship and House of Assembly elections, was the Garrison Commander of 6 Division Garrison, Brig.-Gen. Adeola Kalejaiye who stood in for the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division of the Army, Port Harcourt, Maj.-Gen. Jamil Sarham.

    Others were the State   Commissioner of Police, Usman Belel, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), in Rivers, Mr. Obo Effanga, who was represented by the Administrative Secretary in the state, Elder Etim Umoh, the state  Chairman of   PDP, Chief Felix Obuah; Ledum Mitee of Initiative for Credible Elections (ICE), representatives of the Navy, Air Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Customs, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), as well as top politicians and other eminent personalities were also in attendance.

    Effanga said: “In order to ensure credible process, INEC has sent seasoned electoral officers, led by the National Commissioner in charge of Rivers, Bayelsa and Edo States, Barr. May Agbamuche-Mbu, who is the chairman of this occasion. Political parties that participated in the March 9 elections should submit the names of their agents. We are not conducting fresh elections. The status quo as at March 9 remains.

    “We have the results for these seventeen LGAs: Ahoada East, Akuku-Toru, Andoni, Bonny, Eleme, Emohua, Etche, Ikwerre, Obio/Akpor, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Ogu/Bolo, Okrika, Omuma, Opobo/Nkoro, Oyigbo, Port Harcourt and Tai. Their (17 LGAs) collation was at the local government level. Collation was not completed in the remaining six LGAs: Abua/Odual, Ahoada West, Asari-Toru, Degema, Gokana and Khana.

    “In Abua/Odual LGA, the materials and men did not even go out to the field. They were frustrated from going out and elections did not take place there. In Gokana LGA, materials and men went out to the field, but none came back, because there was outright violence and everything was destroyed. So, we do not have any result from there.

    “In Ahoada West LGA, out of about 100 polling units, we have results in only 24 and that is not good enough. Asari-Toru LGA was not concluded, but we have the polling units’ results available, but they were not collated. Degema LGA has 17 registration areas, which we call wards in INEC’s context, and collation took place in ten, remaining seven. The seven wards, their results are in INEC’s strong room. In Khana LGA, there was no collation at the local government level, but we have results from the polling units and the collation from some wards available.

    “INEC, in its mandate to conduct free, fair and credible elections in Rivers State, decided to come with a timetable (timeline) to let the people know how to ensure the collation and to know the winners.”

    Effanga noted that before the suspension order came from Abuja on March 10, collation had commenced, with INEC now resuming the collation.

    REC of INEC in Rivers disclosed that the collation, scheduled for between April 2 and 5, take place at the INEC’s office on Aba Road, Port Harcourt.

     

     

  • Election monitoring group calls for probe of returning officer

    An election monitoring group, Youths for Credible Elections, has called on the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and security agencies to probe activities of Prof. James Ihemeje, an INEC’s Presidential and NASS Elections Returning Officer.

    The group, in a statement made available to The Nation, made particular reference to a trending video on the internet which shows where Prof Ihemeje of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, who was the Presidential/NASS Returning Officer for Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, was being questioned on why he appeared alone at the collation centre with the alleged local government results as against the laid down electoral procedure that he should be accompanied by the local government electoral officer and security operatives.

    The group alleged that the said INEC official did not follow the procedure but rather surfaced alone at the collation center.

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    In a press release signed by the group’s coordinator and secretary Comrade Akuagba Ezerendu and Comrade Uche Ndudim respectively, the group urged INEC chairman and security operatives to probe the activities of Prof James Ihemeje on the said day and to also look into the result he presented as it can attest to what it described as “the enormous electoral frauds perpetuated against mostly President Muhammadu Buhari in the Southeast zone, greatly facilitated by INEC ad hoc staffs.”

    The group recalled that it was the same Ikwuano Local Government Area that had a known issue regarding some INEC electoral officers who were arrested by the police while trying to smuggle out alleged unclaimed voters cards in their thousands.