The Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) has said that new dates would be fixed for elections in some parts of Rivers and Anambra states, where violence was recorded.
The INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said this yesterday at the National Collation Centre, Abuja.
According to him, the commission has directed the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in states where voting did not take place in some areas or where there are reported disruptions of proceedings, to submit situation reports.
Okoye said that the commission needs to verify the reports of violence and disruption of votes in the reported areas before taking any decision.
“At this moment, INEC is generally satisfied with the process and procedure of the conduct of this general election notwithstanding the challenges relating to the commencement of voting in some polling units. Between 8am to 10am, the summary of polling units that opened stood at 67.91 per cent. The polling units that opened after 10am stood at 16.96 per cent. At this moment, we have recorded a total of 92.76 per cent of polling units that opened,” Okoye said.
Speaking on the postponement of elections in some parts of Rivers State as a result of violence, he said the commission would be meeting with stakeholders and RECs before reaching a decision.
He said: “The commission has also received the report of violence and ballot box snatching in some areas. We have asked the RECs and officials of the commission on ground to summit first hand reports in relation to some of these incidents. We have received report relating to Akokutolo and Bonny Local Government Areas in Rivers State.
“So long as the commission could not deploy in these areas, the implication is that poll did not open in these area and the commission will hold consultation with the relevant authorities and the RECs in relation to these areas and will announce when vote will take place in some of these areas, especially as it relates to House of Representatives and the Senate.
While acknowledging that they recorded malfunctioning of the Smart Card Readers in some areas, Okoye absolved the commission’s personnel, saying that they would not want to deliberately abandon the SCR as it is an offence not to do so.
Okoye said, “With regards to challenges associated with the smart card readers in some polling units, most of them were resolved and resolved on time. However, it is to be noted that in regulation and guidelines issued by INEC, it was made very clear that the use of Smart Card Readers (SCRs) is mandatory.
“Therefore no staff of the commission or the ad hoc staff is permitted under whatever guise to deliberately refuse to use the SCRs for the conduct of the election.
Daily Trust
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