… as INEC Postpone Election in Two LGAs
Douglas Blessing
Following the delay by the staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to distribute electoral materials to wards in the Asari-Toru local government area of Rivers state, voters in the areas insisted that there would be no election in the area.
Earlier, there was rowdy agitations at the Registration Area Centre (RAC) at Kalabari National College (KNC), Buguma Town, head headquarters of the LGA, by voters who claimed that the delayed may be a plot to rig the election in the area, they insisted that the collation officer must be sighted before election could hold.
The newly elected House of Representatives of Akuku-Toru/Asari-Toru, Boma Goodhead, former Council chairman, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree and other chieftains of the area tried pleading that the election should hold but the electorates insisted that it will not hold.
Some of the adhoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who pleaded anonymity, expressed sadness that until past 1pm they were yet to move to their respective wards and polling units. Some of them who said there units are across the rivers lamented that the electoral empire was yet to brief them on the development.
Meanwhile, at Akuku-Toru LGA, accreditation and election which started at about 8.30am was going on smoothly.
The governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Tonye Cole who spoke at his Ward 12 Unit 2 AKULGA said “Essentially, here in Akuku-Toru, my unit the election is peaceful. But we want to say that people should be allowed to exercise their franchise
“We are getting some reports of vote buying, a bit of intimidation, reports of people being warned that if they don’t vote PDP they should write their Will. We are taking notes of the units where that is being reported, but we will write petition on that”.
At Unit 1 Ward 4, Young Briggs Memorial Hall, Abonnema, Akuku-Toru, the Accord Guber Candidate, Dumo Lulu-Briggs, said “The process is seamless I would say at this time. I made the same assessment in the last elections, it was seamless up until 3pm when all the difficulty and so on.
“So far and so good a lot of people have voted and there is no intimidation and harassment. This morning, even though there is a lot of town crier send out to intimidate people but from last night till now people are coming out in their number to cast their votes”.
On his part, the State Secretary to the Rivers state Government, Tammy Danagogo, at his Unit 4, ward 10, Jack-Whyte compound AKULGA, said “I thank God just like last election, the voting process generally went very smooth. The BVAS here at least in my unit is working well, although there is one unit that they said the BVAS is not working but we have sent for the INEC official, she has gone there. But every other units the BVAS is working very well, except one unit”.
At as 9pm, the Residential Electoral Commissioner, Johnson Shinikiem, announced postponement of the elections in Asari-Toru and some of the units in Degema LGA. He said the elections will now hold on Sunday, March 19, 2023.
1. APC guber candidate in Rivers, Tonye Cole casting his vote at his Ward 12 Unit 2 in Akuku-Toru LGA
2. Accord Guber Candidate in Rivers state, Dumo Lulu-Briggs voting at his polling Unit 1 Ward 4, AKULGA
