INEC to Investigate 66 Incidents of Violence...

Voting extended in Rivers

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said that it would investigate the violence that took place in some states during Saturday’s governorship and state assembly elections.

The commission also expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the elections, stating that accreditation commenced on time in over 89 per cent of the polling units across the country.

In a statement by INEC, it said: “Overall, many parts of the country remained relatively peaceful during the elections. Some states, however, recorded a significant number of violent incidents, the most affected being Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ebonyi and Ondo States.

“INEC’s records show that there were 66 reports of violent incidents targeted at polling units, the commission’s officials, voters and election materials.

“These were in Rivers (16 incidents), Ondo (8), Cross River and Ebonyi (6 each), Akwa Ibom (5) Bayelsa (4), Lagos and Kaduna (3 each), Jigawa, Enugu, Ekiti and Osun (2 each), Katsina, Plateau, Kogi, Abia, Imo, Kano and Ogun (1 each).

“The commission is investigating these incidents and will do everything within in its powers to bring culprits to justice.”

According to the statement, a general assessment of the elections showed that the elections went very well across the country.

The commission said preliminary reports showed that 88.9 per cent of polling units opened for accreditation between 8 am and 10 am across the country.

“Only 5.2 per cent were yet to open as of 1 pm. Also, 73 per cent of the polling units had commenced voting by 2.30 pm.

“The process of accreditation with smart card readers was also successful in a majority of the polling units. Initial challenges were recorded in Edo and Abia States, but the technical teams deployed to support the states were able to resolve the issues in a timely manner,” the commission added.

INEC commended Nigerians for demonstrating their resolve and commitment to participate in the electoral process and by doing so, contributing to deepening democracy in the country.

The commission called on Nigerians to maintain the peace as results of the governorship and state assembly elections were being processed and to accept the official outcomes.

It stressed that winners could only emerge after the collation of official results and on the basis of the requirements prescribed by the legal framework, urging any aggrieved persons or groups to seek redress at the tribunals.

The commission reminded all stakeholders that the process had not yet been completed and urged restraint in their comments, as it strived to bring this process to an orderly, peaceful and credible conclusion.

Also, owing to incidents of violence in Rivers State, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs. Gesila Khan, announced that the governorship and house of assembly elections in the state continued yesterday in nine wards in six local government areas, where it could not hold on Saturday either due to snatching of election materials or where materials did not arrive at all.

At 16, Rivers recorded the highest incidents of election-related violence during the polls on Saturday in the country.

At least three people were killed by gunmen, and unlike the March 28 presidential election, there was voter apathy.

Both the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Nyesom Wike, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had accused each other of fomenting trouble in different parts of the state.

Amaechi’s Information Commissioner, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, accused the PDP of trying to steal the election through a massive ballot stuffing effort.

She called on INEC to investigate the APC’s claims and to “ensure that the people's voices are not silenced”.

The heavy security presence deployed ahead of the vote in the state capital Port Harcourt continued yesterday in anticipation of the final result being disputed.

Speaking on the conduct of yesterday’s poll in the state, the Rivers State Police Command said that it had not recorded any incidents in the six local governments where new elections took place in the state.

The Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr. Ahmad Muhammad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt that the command was monitoring the re-run election.

“So far, we have not recorded any incident. Election has been smooth in the areas affected,” he said.

Journalists monitoring the election at Ozuoba Unit 16 in Obio/Akpor Local Government reported INEC officials and party agents as saying that the exercise was going on smoothly.

Mr. Sunday Obisike, a PDP polling agent at the unit, said the party was satisfied with the conduct of the election in the area.

“We have no cause to complain so far. The election has been going on smoothly,” he said.

The APC agent at the unit, Mr. Nchela Chima, said the party was also satisfied with the accreditation and voting process.

“As you can see, people have started voting here. Accreditation was okay and we are impressed with the exercise,” he said.

At Ogbogoro Unit 24, Ward 16 in the local government, an INEC staff who remained anonymous, said though accreditation did not start on time, the exercise in the unit had been smooth.

Mr. Stone Chukwu, a resident of the area, said he cast his ballot and was satisfied with the exercise.

“I have voted and I am satisfied with the voting in our unit,” he said.

However, the APC agent at the unit, Miss Jane Woko, said they had initial challenges with the card reader.

“The challenge had been overcome and voting is going on here,” she said.