The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed elections in Bonny and Akuku Toru local government areas (LGAs) of Rivers state due violence.
Festus Okoye, INEC’s national commissioner for information and voter education, made this known to newsmen in Abuja on Saturday.
Okoye said elections in the area would hold on a date yet to be chosen by the commission.
“We have received reports related to incidents in Akuku Toru and Bonny local government areas of Rivers state,” he said.
“So long as the commission could not deploy in these areas, the implication is that polls did not open in these areas and the commission will hold consultations with the relevant authorities and with the resident electoral commissioner in relation to these areas and will announce the dates when polls will take place in some of these areas, especially in relation to the areas that may be affected as it relates to the house of representatives elections and senatorial elections.
“We need to harvest where voting did not take place and we’re going to take a position as a commission. In Bonny, there was no election at all. The exercise there has been postponed. It will hold on another day.
Also, Edwin Enabor, INEC spokesperson in Rivers state, said election at Okrika LGA was also flawed by irregularities, as sensitive materials for a whole ward was diverted.
He said voting could not hold in the affected area and as such new dates would be announced for voters to cast their ballot.
“Voting did not hold in the affected registration area,” he said. “The position of the commission is that election will be conducted separately for that registration area later.”
