The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Rivers, on Saturday, said that the Commission was ready to conduct the election of Asari-Toru Local Government Area and ward 14 of Degema Local Government Area on Sunday.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Dr. Johnson Alalibo, disclosed this in a statement by Geraldine Ekelemu, the Public Relations Officer of INEC, in Port Harcourt.
Alalibo stated that the election could not hold in the LGAs due to the voters’ resistance of deployed election officials and materials for the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections.
He said that the electorate and other stakeholders demanded to see the ward collation officer before they would allow the election to commence in Asari-Toru LGA.
According to him, voters at ward 14 in Degema LGA equally demanded that the supervising Presiding Officer (SPO) must come to the Registration Area Centre with collation sheets, thereby disallowing the election to hold in the area.
The REC said that the Commission had decided to conduct the election in the areas on Sunday, standing on the premise and relying on section 24 of the Electoral Act 2022.
