INEC Accepts the Results of Election in Rivers State
By CHINYERE Ogbonna -The Independent National Electoral Commission in Nigeria (INEC) has accepted and declared the result of the elections held in Rivers State, South-South Nigeria which the All Progressives Congress (APC) is demanding its cancellation.
At the collation of results in Abuja on today, the chairman of the INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, said the allegations raised by the APC were not substantial enough to warrant the cancellation and rescheduling of the elections in the State.
The electoral body had received a petition from the APC, demanding the cancellation and rescheduling of the polls.
protests have been held in the state by the members of the APC, calling for the cancellation of the results.
They alleged that no election was held in the state.
Reacting to the allegations, professor Jega said the commission had investigated the claims after it received the petition.
“I circulated this memo to the Commission. We reviewed it and set up a three-man committee to Rivers and returned this morning (on Tuesday) with their observations.
“There were a number of points as to why the Commission should cancel or reschedule elections. No elections, no result sheets and substitution of officials,” he said.
He said that the commission had established that elections held in the State.
“We cannot establish any cancellation or substitution of results and we sent a list of collation officers to the state.
“When officials fail to show up to work for several reasons, it is up to the Residence Electoral Commissioner to substitute from the pool of officials they have.
“We do not believe the allegations are substantial enough to require the cancellation and rescheduling of the elections in Rivers,” Professor Jega said.
According to professor Jega, the commission has taken measures for a thorough investigation of other matters which relate to administrative lapses so that it could learn the lesson and if possible penalise the persons.
“We do not see substantial grounds upon which to cancel the entire elections held in Rivers State. That is why we are taking the results of Rivers now,” the chairman of the commission stated.
