Politics
SDP,NNPP Ready For Polls
The Social Democratic Party
(SDP) and the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) said they are ready for the completion of the suspended legislative elections in Rivers State if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be sincere to conduct the polls as directed by the National Assembly.
The leadership of the two political parties spoke with The Tide separately in Port Harcourt, and said the electoral body had failed the people severally in the bid to conduct the elections in the state.
The Chairmen of the SDP and NNPP, Engr  Joshual Worlu and Deacon Princewill Enyi expressed disappointment over the situation, stressing that their House of Assembly members have over spent their earnings for the elections.
The party chairmen regretted that the inability for the INEC to conduct the suspended polls in Rivers State have caused the state greatly, adding that the state has remained without representatives in the National Assembly.
According to them.’’ We expected INEC to have called us,the stakeholders after the August 12th meeting,but till date, they are yet to make any move and most of our candidates are worried over the situation.’’
‘’After the last meeting, we started another round of campaigns trying to reach our weak and strong local government areas,but we were disappointed when we got to September, there was no sign from the INEC for the election,’’ he said.
The political parties noted that INEC not keeping to their promises to conduct and conclude the suspended polls in the state has caused the state greatly.
They however commended the National Assembly for giving INEC five weeks to conduct the suspended polls in Rivers and Anambra states, adding that this will make them keep to their promises.
It would be recalled that INEC in August 12th,2016 announced that the conclusion of the Rivers legislative polls would be held in middle of October. They had previously announced June and July before the October but nothing had been done to that effect.
The commission had argued that till peace return to the state, it would not conduct further elections in the state. This was as a result of violence and killings of some ad hoc staff of the commission in the last election.