Rivers: 16 Parties Seek Removal of REC, Head of Operations

Sixteen political parties from Rivers State, on Tuesday, stormed the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja, demanding the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state. The parties specifically accused the REC in the state, Ms Gesilia Khan, of impinging on the integrity of the March 28 presidential election.
The coalition of parties equally accused the REC of conniving with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Nyesom Wike, to “doctor the result of the election”. The parties further canvassed for the removal of the Head of Operations INEC in Rivers, Mr. Bocco Ekong, for conniving with the REC. They accused Ms Khan of committing several electoral offences The party leaders made reference to an earlier petition on the need to cancel the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections in Rivers State, on the ground that they were marred by several malpractices perpetrated by some INEC officials, in collusion with PDP.
Other allegations by the parties against the REC included; postings of ad hoc electoral personnel, the recruitment of Supervisory Presiding Officers as well as the substitution of properly trained corps members, who will serve as presiding officers with a list containing names of PDP members, submitted by Wike, their governorship candidate. The parties alleged that under the directive of the REC, the PDP governorship candidate “supervised the collation of results at the state collation centre even though she knew full well that Nyesom Wike is not the PDP State agent. The PDP agent was Emeka Woke.”