ADP seeks cancellation of Rivers guber election

…Demands sanctions for electoral offenders

Memoye Oghu, Port Harcourt

The Action Democratic Party (ADP) in Rivers state has called for the cancellation of the governorship poll conducted on March 9 because of the various irregularities that characterized the exercise.

ADP made the demand as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to release details of its re-run guidelines on the suspended governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers state.

The party also wants electoral offenders to be prosecuted and banned from partaking in the next processes to conclude the polls in the state.

It would be recalled that INEC had suspended the collation of results and other electoral processes in the state on March 10 citing irregularities, including violence, invasion of collation centres by uniformed men and political thugs as well as intimidation and harassment of its staff.

It set up a fact-finding committee which visited the state and turned in its report last Friday, on the basis of which the body promised to release the guidelines today (Wednesday).

The ADP governorship candidate, Mr. Victor Fingesi made the call while briefing newsmen at the party’s secretariat in Port Harcourt.

“We are asking INEC as they are conducting the investigation not only to prosecute, but to ban the offending parties from further exercise that INEC would recommend for the resolution of the electoral process in this state, as this can’t be waived away and would act as a deterrent for future elections nationwide,” he said.

Fingesi had earlier stated that the call for the outright cancellation of the exercise became necessary because “this election was marred by violence, vote buying, ballot box hijacking, intimidation by the military, gangs and thugs. Our party and some others were prevented from all the collation centres from the ward, local government and state levels.

“In so many polling units, only agents of the PDP and AAC, the APC proxy were allowed to observe the calling of the results. We also note here that our polling agents were not signatories to any document at the polling units and collation centres.”

He expressed sadness that the state was now the battleground for these acrimonies, pointing out that the army’s indictment of the police and INEC has led to a war of words between the military, police and INEC.

“INEC, having admitted collation centres were invaded, being the proximate reason for the suspension means that materials have passed through the wrong hands and so can’t be used to conclude the election. This is why we are calling for outright cancellation,” the ADP candidate stated

Meanwhile, there is heightened expectations in the state as everyone awaits details of the guidelines as promised by INEC, even as many feel the election ombudsman would today also meet with stakeholders and commence the collation of results.

But INEC Public Relations Officer in the state, Mrs. Geraldine Ekilemo clarified that there would be no major activity in their office in Port Harcourt.

“The details of the guidelines would be released by the INEC headquarters in Abuja,” she said, adding that there would be no stakeholders meeting or press briefing in its office in Port Harcourt.