INEC Defends Rivers Guber Polls …Says April 11 Elections, Free, Fair

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike (right), receving a document from the state Comptroller of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr Ishaka Haliru, during a courtesy call on the governor at Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday.

The  Independent  National  Electoral  Commission (INEC), yesterday  opened its defence of the Rivers  State  Governorship  Election  with  a declaration  that the elections  were  held in compliance  with  the  Electoral  Act  and the electoral  guidelines.
INEC  tendered  relevant  documents  and  electoral  materials  to prove the peaceful  and  credible  conduct of  the  elections  with  the INEC   Electoral  Officer of Obio /Akpor, Mr Ebikoro  Tebekaemi testifying  to the  smooth  conduct  of  the  elections
Tebekaemi  stated that INEC  used both card readers  and manual  accreditation for the April  11 governorship  election  in Obio /Akpor  Local  Government  Area.
According  to  him,  a total  number  of  304,745 voters were accredited  using both card readers  and manual accreditation, adding that the card reader accreditation accounted for 40,281 voters.
The Obio/Akpor Local Government Area INEC  electoral  officer said that the distribution  of  election  materials and  actual  voting  took place  under a peaceful  environment  ensured  by the  police,  the  Army  and other security  agencies.
He said  that all through  the  elections  he did not receive  any reports  of snatching  of election  materials,  clash between  INEC  staff and thugs and the disruption  of the  elections.
Tebekaemi  denied  the  allegation  by the  Rivers  State  APC  that INEC  officials  colluded  with  the  PDP and security  agents   to engage  in multiple  thumb  printing  and electoral  malpractices.
He added that it was untrue that security agents arrested a bus conveying electoral materials and INEC staff to an unauthorized destination, adding that no such report was brought to his notice.
The INEC  Obio / Akpor Local Government Area electoral  officer said that enough  election  materials  were distributed to all the  wards of the LGA on April  11.
He further informed that out of the 17 wards in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, governorship election held successfully in 15 wards, emphasising that the two wards where election did not hold are wards 12 and 13.
He was led in evidence  by counsel  to  INEC,  Onyechi  Ikpeazu (SAN )  and was cross examined  by counsel  to  Governor  NyesomWike,  Emmanuel  Ukala  (SAN ).
Under cross  examination  by Chief Akin Olujimi  (SAN ),  Tebekaemi  maintained that at no time  did INEC  meet to decide  that only card readers  be used for the governorship  election.  He said he was not aware of any press release stopping manual accreditation as it was never communicated to him officially.
INEC has six days to present her case.
The matter was adjourned to today for further defence by the electoral body.