Rivers Rerun: INEC vows not conclude rerun unless

The Independent National Electoral Commission

INEC vowed yesterday not to go back to Rivers

State for the conclusion of the State and National

Assembly election re-run held on March 19

saying it was not in a hurry to again risk the lives

of its personnel, stakeholders and other

partners.

The commission, in a statement signed by its

Director, Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole

Osaze-Uzi, however said it will release some of

the results already collated.

In a statement issued after it met with its

personnel deployed for the March 19 haphazard

polls, the electoral umpire also said it will not

conduct elections in any other state where the

dominant political culture is a climate of fear,intimidation and violence.According to INEC, “”On election day, some of

the Registration Area Centres RACs were invaded

and barricaded by hordes of people who

prevented our officials from leaving for the

polling units, thus disrupting the prompt

commencement of the exercise in many places.

“Fortunately, the commission was able to

undertake the exercise in several places after

explanation by the INEC staff and further

validation/authentication of these result sheets

by the endorsement of the Resident Electoral

Commissioner REC and Electoral Officers EOs of

some of these Local Government Areas. The

Commission wishes to emphatically state that

there were no fake result sheets or any fake

materials used in the conduct of the elections.

Position as at time of suspension

“As at the time of suspension of further action by

the Commission, the exercise was at different

stages, as follows:

*The elections had been concluded in some

constituencies with the declaration of results and

return of winners by the respective Returning

Officers.

*Results declared and/or returns made under

duress or by unauthorized persons.

*Collation had been concluded but no

declaration or return made.

*Voting had been concluded and collation

ongoing but yet to be concluded.

*Voting had been concluded but collation yet to

commence.

*No voting at all or voting commenced but was

disrupted before conclusion.

Modalities and way forward

“Faced with the above scenario, the Commission

restates its earlier decision to uphold the

declarations and returns made in the Federal

and State Constituencies where the exercise had

been concluded.

“Similarly, the commission will conclude and

make returns in constituencies where it is

satisfied that voting and collation were done in

substantial compliance with the Electoral Act and

our Guidelines. Further details as to the

constituencies and nature of the exercise will be

announced by the Resident Electoral

Commissioner in the next few days.

“INEC will at a date to be decided, conduct fresh

elections starting with accreditation and voting in

all Local Government Areas, Constituencies,

Registration Areas and Polling Units where the

exercise was disrupted before voting was

concluded on Saturday, 19th March, 2016. Even

so, this will only be after due consultation with

stakeholders and subject to the advice of the

Security Agencies and guarantees by the Political

Parties, Candidates and their supporters.

“While the Commission is committed to

conducting free, fair and credible elections, it

hereby reiterates its resolve not to return to

Rivers state (or anywhere else where there was a

breakdown of law and order in the course of

conducting elections) until there is a conducive

atmosphere for the conduct of credible

elections. As a responsible organization, it will

not expose its stakeholders especially voters, its

officials, observers, media personnel to any

danger and even where dates have been fixed

and published, it will not hesitate to again

suspend the exercise where there is a clear

danger or credible threat of a breakdown of law

and order”.

Out of the 37 senatorial, federal and state

constituencies where elections were ordered to

take place, INEC was only able to collate and

declare results in one Federal and nine State

constituencies where the disruption and

malpractices were not so widespread.

“Consequently, results of the polls would be

released in places where collation had been

concluded but no declaration or return made and

in areas where voting had been concluded but

collation yet to commence”, the commission

said.

Also, results of areas where voting had been

concluded and collation ongoing but yet to be

concluded, would be released.

The commission however blamed some

overzealous voters in Rivers state for its inability

to conduct elections in some parts of the state.

It said it would however conduct the remaining

elections at a later date to be decided based on

recommendation from security agencies as well

as an undertaking by political parties and their

candidates to ensure a seamless exercise.[caption id="attachment_808" align="aligncenter" width="90"] VOTERS WAITING TO CAST THEIR VOTE AT
UNIT 6 WARD 5 .DURING THE NATIONAL AND
STATE ASSEMBLIES RERUN ELECTION AT UNIT 5
WARD12 AT PORT HARCOURT CITY GOVERNMENT
AREA IN RIVERS STATE TODAY19/03/16[/caption]