INEC to conduct fresh elections in Rivers RAs

Johnson Sinikiem, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Rivers State, says elections will be conduct elections in seven Registration Areas(RA) in Degema Local Government Area of the state.

The areas are in Tombia and Bakana which had logistics issues and voting could not hold.

The REC, during a media briefing, noted that the commission had gotten confirmation from the headquarters in Abuja to conduct the election within 24 hours.

He noted that elections went on smoothly in the 23 LGAs, blaming poor network to upload the result.

He said: “This is a briefing to tell you the extent of what we have done regarding the elections in Rivers State and what we are expecting.

“Results were collated primarily from polling units via form EC8A, EC8A1 and EC8A2 for the Presidential, Senatorial and the House of Representatives, respectively.

“The elections went on smoothly in all the LGAs. Though the presiding officers had a teething problem with uploading results from polling units to the INEC results viewing portals.

“This is as a result of the poor network which is a national problem.
In all the places that the election did not hold yesterday due to one reason or the other.”

He added that “apart from violence, that will not affect the outcome of the elections, I have received clearance from the headquarters to go ahead and organise election there within the shortest reasonable time.”

He noted that collation is ongoing in simultaneously at other collation centres for the Senatorial and House of Representatives elections.

He urges the citizenry of Rivers State and our stakeholders to have patience and have hope in our process of electioneering adding that any vote cast in this election must count.