INEC To Conduct Fresh Election In 7 RAs In Rivers …Receives Presidential Results From Three Rivers LGAs

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will conduct a fresh election in seven Registration Areas (RAs) in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The INEC Residential Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Rivers, Johnson Sinikiem stated this yesterday, while briefing newsmen on the proceedings for the collation of results for the Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representative elections in the state.
Also present at the briefing were political parties’ agents, security agencies, international and local observers, civil society organisations and INEC staff in Rivers State who were involved in the conduct of the election.
Sinikiem also expressed satisfaction with the electoral process across the state, adding that out of the 17 RAs in Degema, election only held in 10 following some challenges faced by the INEC staff who could not access the area on the election day.
He however, urged Rivers people and various stakeholders to be patient with the Commission, assuring that every vote must be counted.
“This briefing is necessary at this time, that the electorates are very expectant of the outcome of their wishes, which is very sacrosanct and the Commission has a duty of protecting the wishes of the masses in the election of February 25, 2023, the Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives.
“Results were collated primarily from a polling unit via Form EC8A, EC8A (1), EC8A (2) for the Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representative elections respectively.
“The election went in smoothly in all the LGAs, though the Presiding Officers had a hitching problems of uploading results from polling units to the INEC Result Quarters (IRQ). This is as a result of poor network which is a national problem or issues in all the places that elections did not hold yesterday due to one reason or the other, part from violence that will not affect the outcome of the elections.
“We have a situation in Degema Local Government, about seven RAs, we could not deploy and that we are also covered by Section 24 (2) of the Electoral Act. So we are looking at how to configure new BVAS to schedule possibly tomorrow, to conclude that RAs in Degema.
I have received clearance from the headquarters to go ahead and organize election there within the shortest reasonable time.
“Degema has 17 RAs and Election took place in only 10 RAs. You know if we don’t conclude is going to substantially affect the outcome of the election. That is paramount. But for others, if it will not substantially affect the outcome, election might not take place in those places”, Sinikiem added.
Meanwhile, results from the presidential results from Ahoada West, Opobo/Nkoro and Tai Local Government Areas have been received by INEC in Rivers State. While the Labour Presidential candidate, Peter Obi won in Ahoada West, his counterpart in All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu won in Opobo/Nkoro and Tai.
INEC turned down the presidential results from Gokana and Abua/Odual and directed the Collation Officers to reconcile the figures.