Rivers: INEC to resume collation of of March 9 elections results

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will resume the collation of election results as planned, it was learnt.

The commission last week fixed 2nd to 5th of April for resumption of collation of results of the last governorship and state Assembly elections.

INEC also noted that election had been concluded in 21 state constituencies and fixed 13th April 2019 should there be any need for supplementary election.

The collation of the results for the election held on March 9 was suspended due to violence allegedly carried out by soldiers and armed thugs. Consequently, the Commission 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, it was successfully concluded in others with the declaration of winners in 21 state constituencies. Collation was ongoing at the time of the suspension of the process.

Announcing the outlined activities and timeline to resolve the electoral logjam in Rivers State, INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said the commission will on 30th March 2019 have a meeting with critical actors in the state after which the headquarters of the commission will release a guideline for the continuation of the process.

Read also: 2019 general elections was free, fair – CODER

The meeting, however, turned rancorous as stakeholders exchanged hot words, which threw up fears that the exercise might be affected.

But the Commission said yesterday that it will resume the collation of results despite calls for the fresh election and rancorous stakeholders meeting at the weekend.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the Commission Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi said rachour among political parties during a stakeholders’ meeting before any major election is a common phenomenon.

Oyekanmi, therefore, said whatever might have transpired during the stakeholders meeting in Rivers at the weekend was not enough to alter INEC timeline to conclude the election in the state.

He said, “Regardless of their drama, however, the Commission will go ahead with its schedule of activities for the resumption of collation and conduct of supplementary elections where necessary in Rivers State.”

He added that whatever position taken by the parties at the stakeholders meeting will absolutely not have any impact on the plan of the commission.

He stressed, ” It does not change anything. The Commission will go ahead with its plan.”

Oyekanmi explained further that “Rancour among political parties during a stakeholders’ meeting before any major election is a common phenomenon. At most of this type of meeting the Commission organized before any of the governorship election the conducted over the last 3 years, it has been the same story. Political parties regrettably bring their bitter differences to the meeting, but this is very unfortunate. They need to show maturity and stop this unnecessary bickering that will lead them nowhere.”

Speaking on the call for withdrawal of Mrs May Agbamuche Mbu, INEC National Commissioner who chaired the stakeholders meeting in the absent of Chairman of the Commission, Okoye said that INEC will not abdicate its constitutional and statutory responsibility and create a constitutional crisis.

He stressed that the “Commission is determined to conclude the collation of results for State Assembly and Governorship elections in Rivers State. The Commission is courageously following its timetable and schedule of activities outlined for the conclusion of the collation and electoral process in Rivers State.

The process of collation and conclusion of the process is transparent and painstaking. All the critical stakeholders in the electoral process are involved in the process leading to the final collation of results. It is the constitutional and statutory responsibility and mandate of the Commission to organize and superintend elections.

It is the responsibility of the Commission to collate and announce the results of elections and the Commission does not share this responsibility with anyone, body, institution or agency. The Commission will conclude the collation of results before pulling out of Rivers State. The resolve of the Commission is to transparently collate the results and announce the results.

The Commission is the regulator of political parties and sets the parameters for the conclusion of the process based on the law and the constitution. The Commission will not abdicate its constitutional and statutory responsibility and create a constitutional crisis. ”

On the staged walked out by some governorship candidates in the polls under the umbrella of Coalition of Governorship candidates, Okoye said “Each Political Party is a legal entity registered by the Commission in accordance with the constitution and the Electoral Act, 2010(as amended).

The Commission did not register any Political Party known as Coalition of Governorship Candidates and does not deal with any coalition. The Commission extended invitation for the stakeholders meeting to registered political parties and they attended the stakeholders meeting in that capacity.

All the candidates in the election filed their nominations under the banner and platform of their respective parties. Our plea is that all the candidates and political parties should cooperate with the Commission for the expeditious conclusion of the collation process. Although protests and walkouts are part of the democratic process, it should be employed in a manner that serves the national interest.”

On Zamfara state, he said “the issue of the electoral fortune of the APC in Zamfara State is before the Supreme Court of Nigeria. The Commission is a law-abiding institution and will prefer to wait for the decision of the Supreme Court on the matter. The Commission will not make any comment that will prejudice the due determination of the suit in the Supreme Court.”