INEC promises transparent guber election in Rivers

As it resumes collation of the suspended Rivers State governorship and State legislative election results, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the process will be transparent.

Also, Governor Nyesom Wike admonished the Nigerian Army, blamed for the suspension, to desist from involvement in electoral matters.

The National Commissioner supervising Bayelsa, Edo and Rivers States, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, while addressing a stakeholders’ meeting on resumption of electoral activities completion of outstanding 2019 general elections said, yesterday, the commission was in custody of the already collated results of 17 Local Government Areas.

At the meeting, attended by Wike and some gubernatorial candidates, Agbamuche-Mbu explained that INEC would religiously follow the timelines outlined by the commission for collation of results.

INEC Rivers State Head of Department, Legal, Mr. Don Umealor, assured political parties that they would be given opportunity to comment on the process, though nobody would be allowed to disrupt the collation process.

Administrative Secretary of INEC Rivers State, Etim Umoh listed the 17 Local Government Areas which INEC has their results to include: Ahoada East, Bonny, Akuku-Toru, Obio/Akpor, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Omuma, Port Harcourt, Ikwerre, Emohua, Tai, Opobo-Nkoro, Andoni, Eleme, Etche, Ogu–Bolo, Oyigbo, Okrika.

Others were collation have not been concluded are Khana, Asari Toru, Degema, Ahoada West, Abua/Odual and Gokana.

Wike recalled that the state government and people had raised alarm over the plot to unleash violence in the state, but they were accused of always crying wolf.