 |
| INEC Ad-hoc Staff |
The Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it would have to conduct fresh polls
in all the areas where it suspended the electoral process in Rivers State due
to the violence and criminality that characterised the elections in the state
at the weekend.
Resulting from the widespread
violence and electoral irregularities, INEC also confirmed monday that one of
its ad hoc staff, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Mr. Samuel
Dumebi Okonta, was killed during the exercise.
INEC’s announcement coincided
with that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which said the conduct of INEC
and security operatives of the federal government in Saturday’s elections in
Rivers State fell short of expected standards, given the level of mobilisation
and preparedness.
On Sunday, INEC released the
results of nine state constituencies and one federal constituency in which
rerun elections were held in Rivers State, but suspended the electoral process
in all other constituencies in the state where results were not announced,
blaming its action on widespread violence that marred the elections.
Last Saturday’s election took
place in three senatorial districts, 12 federal constituencies and 22 state
constituencies in 23 local government areas in the state.
Speaking on the conduct of the
polls, the INEC Director of Publicity, Mr. Nick Dazang, said the commission
will fix a date for a fresh conduct of the elections in the areas affected by
its suspension order, after due assessment of reports from its officials.