INEC Mulls Fresh Polls In Violence-Prone Areas ….May prosecute staff over Smart Card Readers

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it might conduct fresh polls in areas where election did not hold at all or disrupted as a result of violence.

Sunday Tribune checks revealed that the electoral process was disrupted in certain  areas in Lagos, Anambra and Rivers state.

Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman Voters Education and Publicity Committee of INEC, made the revelation of fresh polls  on Saturday while updating newsmen on reports the Commission gathered from its men on the field  across the country.

He acknowledged reports of violence in Akoko/Toru and Bonny local government areas of Rivers State where he noted election did not hold.

He told newsmen that his Commission would base its action  of fresh polls in these areas based on the official reports submitted by Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from the affected states.

He said: “The Commission has also received report of violence and ballot box snatching in some areas leading to the disruption of the process. We have asked the Resident Electoral Commissioners and officers of the Commission on ground to submit their first hand report in relation to some of these incidents. We are still receiving reports of incidents in some states of the federation.

“We have received reports in relation to Akoko/Toru and Bonny local government areas of Rivers state.

“So long as the Commission didn’t deploy in these areas, the implications is that voting didn’t open in these areas and the Commission will hold consultations with the relevant authorities and the REC in relation to those areas and will announce when polls will take place in these areas, especially as regards to the areas that may be affected with regards to House of Representatives and senatorial elections.”

“In relation to the issues of burning of election materials,  we have reports of some of these incidents in Anambra and as I pointed out, we have reports in Rivers, Lagos and we have reports in some of other states.

“We have asked the RECs in  these states to give us their report after confirming the authenticity of the reports from the relevant officers who are on ground.

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So, the moment we get the verified reports, from the RECs, we will take a decision in relation to these areas.

“As I said, it isn’t only in Rivers that we have reports of violence. We have reports of burning of election materials in Lagos and also the burning of election materials in some parts of Anambra state and Rivers. We need to clarify, we need to be sure about these reports before we take a final decision in relation to these. So, what we are waiting for is the official reports from some of the RECs.”

Okoye threatened that the Commission would prosecute its officials who deliberately frustrated the use of Smart Card Readers in the course of the election just as he confessed the malfunctioning of the item.

He restated his earlier position that the Commission had directed that the voting period be extended in polling units where commencement of voting was delayed as a result of malfunctioning of the Smart Card Reader or the late arrival of sensitive materials

“Any of them that refuses to use the Smart Card Reader  or deliberately refused  to use the Smart Card  Reader  or deliberately frustrated the use of Smart Card Reader is subject to prosecution, in accordance with the regulations and guidelines of the Commission and the electoral act.”

Page 2 of 2The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for nationwide security alert as it alleged that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is currently recruiting armed thugs and miscreants to attack ward and local government collation centres.

Mr Festus Keyamo, Director, Strategic Communications, APC Presidential Campaign Council (Official Spokesperson), made the appeal in a statement on Saturday night in Abuja.

He alleged that the intention of the PDP was to disrupt the collation process of the elections nationwide in order to cause crises and make the election inconclusive.

He also revealed that some members of the PDP Campaign Council were making last-minute efforts to switch allegiance to President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC.

“It has come to our knowledge from insiders within the PDP Campaign Council who are making last-minute efforts to switch allegiance to President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress that the PDP is currently recruiting armed thugs and miscreants nationwide to attack ward and local government collation centres this evening till the wee hours of tomorrow morning.

“The purpose is to disrupt the collation process of the elections nationwide in order to cause crises and make this election inconclusive.

“As we know, most of these collation centres are usually in schools or other places that are poorly protected.

“This is therefore a clarion call to all law enforcement agencies to mobilise extra armed security to protect all collation centres nationwide,’’ he urged.

Festus also called on all APC agents, supporters and patriotic Nigerians to stick with the election results from the various units up to the State Collation Centres.

According to him, there is no cause for any political party at this stage to jubilate or be dejected.

He said: “Nothing has been won and nothing has been lost. Official results have not been declared.

“Hence we call for eternal vigilance on the part of our agents and supporters.

“We repeat – nobody should jubilate now and abandon his/her duties. Let keep our feet firmly on the ground and stick with our assigned role(s) until final results are declared by INEC.’’

NAN

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