The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) this morning suspended the Federal and State legislative elections held on Saturday across the three senatorial districts of the state in two more local governments, thereby bringing the number of LGAs suspended to eight.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Aniedi Ikoiwak, who disclosed the new suspension in a statement said the reason for it was because of violence and irregularities.
The statement reads in part, “Further to our earlier pronouncement on the suspension of the re-run elections in the six Local Government Areas of, Khana, Bonny, Gokana, Andoni, Tai and Eleme following disturbances and violence that impeded the electoral process in those parts of the state, it has also become necessary to suspend the elections in Etche and Asari-Toru Local Government Areas, for the same reasons.”
Ikoiwak stated that the suspension was to forestall breakdown of law and order or loss of lives and property.
He also said the commission was at the moment studying the situation in the other 15 local government areas where collations were on going.
Police arrest INEC official with controversial result sheets
Mrs. Ekwi Adebisa, an official of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who was declared missing Saturday was found in police custody on Sunday.
Adebisa, who was the Collation Officer of Port Harcourt Local Government Area (PHALGA), Ward 10, was alleged to have been arrested by the police and taken to Mile 1 Police Station in Port Harcourt.
Reacting to the arrest, the state government accused the Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi of hiring the INEC officer with a plan to truncate the result of the election.
“Immediately Governor Wike and PDP leaders arrived at the station, more than 400 soldiers stormed the station alongside Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi and the NIMASSA Director General Dakuku Peterside who also arrived at the station and directed that Mrs Adebisa be released to them.”
According to reports, the arrested electoral officer was later taken to an unknown destination by the police.
-Vanguard
