INEC Gives Reasons For Rejecting Results From Akwa Ibom, Rivers

By Ayodele Oluwafemi

The Independent National Electoral Commission has rejected rerun results in some parts of Rivers and Akwa Ibom State over reported cases of recorded violence and disruption on Saturday.

INEC noted that the reported cases of violence and disruption affected peaceful election in four out of 28 constituencies where the rerun election took place.

The commission’s decision was contained in a statement, on Tuesday, by its National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, after a meeting on Monday.

Part of the statement reads: “INEC met on January 27, 2020 and reviewed the conduct of the January 25, 2020 court-ordered rerun elections in 28 constituencies in 11 states of the federation.

“It noted a marked improvement in compliance with its processes and procedures during the elections.

“Regrettably, deviant behaviour by a few persons determined to subvert the people’s will was noticed in a few areas in the course of the elections. These isolated incidents minimally affected the peaceful and orderly exercise in only four of the 28 constituencies where elections were conducted.

“However, consistent with the commission’s resolve to sanction bad electoral behaviour, the commission took the following steps to protect the process:

“In Akwa-Ibom State, where the officials of the commission were abducted and diverted to an undesignated location and forced to compromise the elections in the Essien Udim LGA, all the polling units involved were identified and their results discountenanced.

“In Abi State Constituency of Cross River State, officials of the commission were abducted and thus prevented from deploying in eight polling units. All officials of the commission that were abducted have been rescued and accounted for.

“In furtherance of its resolve not to accept results from areas where the processes were disrupted and its officials attacked, the commission took a firm action by not accepting results from such areas as it could not vouch for their integrity.

“But the commission notes that in most cases, these incidents were not widespread and did not significantly affect the overall results. As such, declarations and returns were made.”

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