On Saturday, the INEC in Rivers announced that it was prepared to hold the elections for the Asari-Toru Local Government Area and ward 14 of the Degema Local Government Area on Sunday.
This information was provided by the INEC Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Geraldine Ekelemu, in a statement made by the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Johnson Alalibo, in Port Harcourt.
Alalibo claimed that the voters’ opposition to the election officials and materials that had been deployed for the governorship and state house of assembly elections prevented elections from taking place in the LGAs.
Alalibo 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.
He said that 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 at the areas on Sunday, standing on the premise and relying on section 24 of the Electoral Act 2022. (NAN)
