The Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) on Saturday said new dates would be fixed for some parts of Rivers state where violence were recorded thus preventing the deployment of election materials.
The INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, disclosed this at the National Collation Centre, Abuja.
According to him, the commission has directed Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in states were voting did not take place or where there were reported disruptions of proceedings to submit situation report.
He added that the commission is so far satisfied with the process and procedures in the conduct of the elections.
“As at this moment, INEC is generally satisfied with the process and procedure of the conduct of this general election notwithstanding the challenges relating to the commencement of voting in some polling units.
“Between 8am to 10am, the summary of polling units that opened stood at 67.91 percent. The polling units that opened after 10am stood at 16.96 percent. At this moment, we recorded a total of 92.76 percent of polling units that opened,” Okoye said.
Speaking on the postponement of elections in some part of Rivers state as a result of violence outbreak, he said the commission would be meeting with stakeholders and RECs before reaching a decision
He said: “The commission has also received the report of violence and ballot box snatching in some areas leading to the disruption of the process. We have asked the RECs and the officials of the commission on ground to submit first hand report in relation to some of these incidents.
“We are still receiving reports in relation to the incidents in some states in the country, but we have received report relating to Akokutolo and Bonny local government areas in Rivers state.
“Some of these incidents, as I pointed out before are from Anambra, Rivers, Lagos and other states but we have asked the RECs from some of these states to give us report after confirming the authenticity of them from the officers who are on ground.
“So, the moment we get the verified reports from the RECs, we will take decision in relation to some of these areas.
“But as I said, it is not only in Rivers that we have report of violence. We have report of burning of electoral materials in Lagos and some parts of Anambra state.
“So, we are just waiting for the reports, we need to clarify and be sure of them before we take final decision in relation to them.”
Okoye added: “With regards to challenges associated with the smart card readers in some polling units, most of them were resolved and resolved on time.
“However, it is to be noted that in regulation and guidelines issued by INEC, it was made very clear that the use of Smart Card Readers (SCRs) is mandatory.
“Therefore no staff of the commission or the ad hoc staff is permitted under whatever guise to deliberately refuse to use the SCRs for the conduct of the election.
“According to the regulations and guidelines of the commission, it is negligence conduct for any ad hoc staff to refuse to use the SCRs for the process of accreditation and any of them that refused to use the SCRs or deliberately violate the use of it, is subject to prosecution in accordance with the regulations and guidelines and the Electoral Act.”
He added that, “In any state that the SCR issue was not resolved as at 2pm, the standard procedure in line with the guidelines and regulations, is that the election continues the next day. But we have said earlier that where poll started late, the commission has extended time for closing of polls until every person in queue has voted.”
