INEC: No election in Rivers until violence is over

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will not return to Rivers state to conduct elections in areas where the rerun poll was cancelled until the violence in the state is over.

Citing widespread irregularities, the commission annulled the election in eight local government areas and also suspended collation after declaring few results.

In an interview in Abuja on Monday, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, INEC’s director of voter education and publicity, revealed that INEC had scheduled a meeting for Wednesday to review the situation in Rivers.

“We are not going back to the state until the atmosphere is conducive to have a violent-free election. But I don’t want to preempt anything ahead of the Wednesday meeting,” he said.

Osaze-Uzzi also said the commission would investigate the allegations leveled against it during the election.

He insisted that there was no way fake election materials could have been distributed by INEC’s election officers.

“Was there really distribution of fake result sheets? How did the people know that they are fake?” he asked.

“The allegation will be investigated, anyway. We are having a meeting on Wednesday with the Rivers resident electoral commissioner (REC), monitors and supervisors who went to the state for the election.

“This issue will be raised there; thereafter, we will issue a public statement on our findings. We will also investigate any allegation that has been raised and backed with fact.”

He said the decision on when the remaining results of the election would be taken at the meeting.

On update of the electoral officers abducted during the election, Osaze-Uzzi said he was yet to be briefed on the matter.

“I cannot speak categorically on that, but I was told that some of the people we are much concerned about have been released. But regrettably, I think we lost a youth corps member but I can’t state categorically.”