INEC postpones Rivers re-run elections
Wed Jul 27, 2016 09:27:am Politics
4.1K By Buchi Obichie
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has postponed the
Rivers State re-run elections for national and state legislative
offices.
This comes following last Friday's razing of the INEC office in Khana Local Government Area of the state.
INEC made the announcement on Tuesday in Abuja, in a statement signed by the commission's scribe, Augusta Ogakwu.
The statement read: "INEC has, in conjunction with security agencies, relevant extra-ministerial departments and agencies and civil society organizations, undertaken periodic electoral risk assessments in the three and a half weeks since this decision was reached at the national stakeholders meeting held in Abuja on June 30, 2016.
"The reports of these assessments have been almost unanimous in concluding that the prevailing security situation in most parts of the state where elections are to be undertaken are not conducive for peaceful elections.
"As a responsible organization and conscious of the violence, maiming and fatalities which accompanied the previous elections in March as well as developments in the state since then, the commission cannot ignore such credible reports.
"In the circumstances therefore, it is compelled to further postpone the re-run legislative elections in Rivers State as one of the principal conditions earlier stipulated for the return to the state for the conclusion of the elections has, regrettably, not been met."
The Rivers re-run had previously been scheduled to take place on July 30.
This comes following last Friday's razing of the INEC office in Khana Local Government Area of the state.
INEC made the announcement on Tuesday in Abuja, in a statement signed by the commission's scribe, Augusta Ogakwu.
The statement read: "INEC has, in conjunction with security agencies, relevant extra-ministerial departments and agencies and civil society organizations, undertaken periodic electoral risk assessments in the three and a half weeks since this decision was reached at the national stakeholders meeting held in Abuja on June 30, 2016.
"The reports of these assessments have been almost unanimous in concluding that the prevailing security situation in most parts of the state where elections are to be undertaken are not conducive for peaceful elections.
"As a responsible organization and conscious of the violence, maiming and fatalities which accompanied the previous elections in March as well as developments in the state since then, the commission cannot ignore such credible reports.
"In the circumstances therefore, it is compelled to further postpone the re-run legislative elections in Rivers State as one of the principal conditions earlier stipulated for the return to the state for the conclusion of the elections has, regrettably, not been met."
The Rivers re-run had previously been scheduled to take place on July 30.
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