The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that it cannot cancel the results of the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.
According to the Punch, the statement was made a few hours after the European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Nigeria called for a probe of the “severe problems” that characterised the elections in the two states.
Kayode Idowu, the chief press secretary to the INEC chairman, explained that once results had been announced by INEC, only election petition tribunals had the power to cancel and order fresh elections.
“The law does not allow us to cancel any result after it has been announced. Everyone knows this.
“It is only the election petition tribunals that can order that or even cancelled the elections. We would advice anyone who is aggrieved to go to the court,”he said.
The EU EOM also said that the elections in Akwa Ibom and Rivers states needed to be probed because of accusations of rigging, intimidation and violence by opponents of the winners.
Udom Emmanuel won the governorship in election in Akwa Ibom while a former Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, triumphed in Rivers.
Santiago Fisas, the chief observer of the EU EOM, said at a news conference that even though the elections witnessed “more efficient polling, “there were “increased incidents of violence and interference.
“On April 12, INEC referred to 66 reports of violent incidents targeting polling units, INEC officials, voters and election materials in 19 states in all geopolitical zones except for the North-East.
“Both the main parties made many accusations of rigging, intimidation and violence by opponents. Problems were most pronounced in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states where there are multiple credible reports of violence and interference, which warrant further investigation,” he added.
However, Fisas, called on those with grievances to address them through official channels. The chief observer took the opportunity to commend President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat before the last result was read.
Fisas described the election-related killings as regrettable and stressed that loss of lives was unacceptable in election conduct.
“It is very regrettable that so many people lost their lives during the elections. Election must be violence-free; loss of lives is not acceptable. Citizens should be able to express their political will freely without fear for their lives.
“My full condolences go to families and friends of those who have been killed during this election process; also to the family of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kano, who perished with his family in the tragic fire.”
In a statement made on April 13, by its Embassy in Nigeria, the United States congratulated all people and the INEC on the successful conduct of the general elections. But it also stressed that it had “seen the reports of violence and alleged irregularities, particularly in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.”
“The US Embassy in Nigeria congratulates the people of Nigeria and INEC for an electoral process on April 11, 2015 that generally went well across the country and built on the success of the March 28 polling process.
“We have seen the reports of violence and alleged irregularities, particularly in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, and call on those dissatisfied to pursue their grievances peacefully in the judicial arena. We regret any loss of life and destruction of property,” the statement read in part.
APC and PDP about elections in Rivers, Akwa Ibom states
The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) accused the Presidency and Niger Delta militants of rigging the elections in two states and called on the INEC to cancel the results.
In a statement made by Lai Mohammed, the APC publicity secretary, the party described the elections in the states as a mockery of democracy.
“It is clear that the script for the distortion of the Rivers elections was written by the Presidency and executed by the PDP, the police and militants.
“As you would recollect, our party’s chapter in Rivers had written a petition complaining of the crass partisanship of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police in the presidential and National Assembly elections held on March 28.
“Because of this petition, the Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, posted three police commissioners from the Force Headquarters in Abuja to oversee the April 11 elections in Rivers State.
“As soon as the President learnt of this development, he directed the IG to reverse the decision and instead requested that AIG Tunde Ogunsakin be posted to oversee the April 11 elections in Rivers State.”
The APC spokesman said as soon as electoral materials were distributed, a senior police officer in Akukutoru Local Government Area simply handed over the election materials for this local government to the militants.
Upon learning of this development, Ogunshakin ordered that the materials should be recovered and handed over to the electoral officer for the LGA within the next hour.
“Irked by a Ogunsakin’s directive, the Presidency ordered him to leave Rivers State within six hours and a pliant replacement was asked to take over from him.
“From then on, unimaginative terror was unleashed on the electorate, in particular on APC members and supporters. It was a straight fight between the police, the militants and the PDP on the one hand and the APC on the other hand.”
Mohammed said that electoral officers even told the APC governorship candidate, Umana Umana, that the election process was marred by security failure, which allowed PDP thugs to hijack election materials and take them to private homes for thumb-printing.
Reacting to the accusations, Olisa Metuh, the national publicity secretary of the PDP, said:
“There was no way we wouldn’t have won the elections in both Rivers and Akwa Ibom states because they are our stronghold.
“Maybe we should as well ask that the presidential election be canceled because of the irregularities we noticed during the conduct of the election.”
Metuh called on the APC to learn to accept the outcomes of elections.
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