INEC warns that results of elections may be cancelled in areas where violence was recorded
By CHINYERE Ogbonna -The Independent National Electoral Commission in Nigeria (INEC) has warns that it may have no option but to cancel results in some states where the state Returning Officers record violence.
The spokesman for the INEC chairman, Mr Kayode Idowu, said the commission had recorded reports of electoral violence in some areas and would deal with it appropriately.
“We have received reports of incidents of Security breaches in some areas, particularly in Rivers State, but security agents have been on top of their game and we have been able to also conduct elections in those hot spots.
“There are areas where you have incidents of violence. Generally speaking, the election went on across the country.
Confirming reports of violence in some areas, Mr. Idowu said that there are reports of breaches of the peace in Abia State.
He, however, said that reports received by the commission also showed that elections had gone on quite well in all the states.
Although reports of violence in Abia, Akwa Ibom and Rivers State, have led to calls for cancelation of election results in some of the places where violence was recorded.
However, But Mr Idowu said that the Returning Officer reserved the right to decide if elections in those areas would be cancelled.
“There are guidelines and rules that the commission applies for dealing with cases where you have unwarranted infringement on the process, like ballot box snatches and stuffs like that.
“The Returning Officer is empowered to take a decision on what to do with areas where there has been violation of the process, like snatching of the ballot box or card readers.
“If the Returning Officer considers it serious enough, he can cancel or void the elections in such areas. The decision resides with the Returning Officer”
He, however, said that there were no reports sent to the INEC that showed there was an entire area where election did not hold.
