Rivers Election : INEC declares new dates for coalition and declaration of winners
– The Electoral Commission has declared April 2 to 5 for the coalition and declaration of the winners.
– APC and PDP shows displeasure regarding the new date, amidst how INE has not shown enough good faith since the beginning of the election.
This was announced at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday by INEC commissioner for information and voter education, Festus Okoye. He also made it known that collation and announcement of results already generated will be resume between April 2 and 5, 2019.
Mr Festus further announced the scheduling of supplementary elections in Rivers State for April 13. He equally added that issuance of certificate of return will take place on April 19.
The Independent National Electoral Commission noted that election had been concluded in 21 state constituencies. It announced that the collation of the results that was suspended on the 9th of March, was due to violence allegedly carried out by soldiers and armed thugs.
The Commission then decided to set up a Fact-Finding Committee that visited Rivers State and submitted its report which revealed that while election could not hold in a few areas, while it was successfully concluded in others areas and the winners were declared in the concluded 21 state constituencies.
The Commissioner , Festus Okoye, said the commission will on 30th March 2019 have a meeting with critical members of the state, to discuss how to resolve the issues on ground, as well as to provide a guideline for the continuation of the election process.
According to him, the revalidation of observers, will be done simultaneously in Abuja and Rivers State between March 25 and March 31.
However the state chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have both disagreed over the new timeline given by INEC to conclude the elections.
The displeasure is due to the fact that the electoral commission had not shown sufficient good faith since the beginning of the election.
