Rivers Violence: INEC To Cancel Elections In Disrupted Areas, To Reschedule Others

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, Nigeria 2015 Election Sunday, April 12th, 2015

By Chris Amadi – Gubernatorial and state assembly elections in areas that were cases of violence and disruption in yesterday’s election in Rivers state will be cancelled, African Examiner has gathered

Our correspondent in Port Harcourt also gathered that the Independent national electoral commission (INEC) is poised to reschedule election in some polling areas where elections have not been held before the reported cases of violence in the state.

Just like other flashpoints in the country, elections in Rivers state are characterized with various degrees of electoral malpractices with hoodlum sponsored by parties colluded with security agents to unleash mayhem on innocent voters and electoral officials.

There are so many reported cases of killings, hijacked of ballot boxes and sensitive materials by hoodlums, thumb printing of ballot papers by party agents, and stuffing of ballot boxes.

In his reaction, Governor Chibuike Amaechi described the election in the state as a sham.

His words: “I think it is a sham. You noticed what happened in Omagwa, what happened was that somebody called me and said they were been attacked at a particular polling booth and I went there, the thugs were overwhelming until another group of soldiers came before they ran away.

“Don’t forget that the report was that our people were been attacked, so I came to rescue the people who were been attacked. When we came, you saw the thugs yourselves, so how do you stabilize the system when already the system has been taken over by thugs?”