After Senate Threat, INEC Fixes Date for Rivers State Elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed December 10, 2016 for the rerun legislative elections in Rivers state which were declared inconclusive some months back.
The seeming failure of the electoral commission to organise the rerun elections had left the state without representation at the National Assembly forcing the senate to issue an ultimatum on Wednesday.
At its plenary on Wednesday, the senate passed a resolution directing INEC to organise the legislative elections on or before December 10 or it would suspend plenary sitting.
According to the Nation, there are outstanding seats at the Senate, the House of Representatives and the Rivers state house of assembly, waiting to be filled after the rerun elections. Previous supplementary polls organised by INEC were marred by widespread violence in the state, leading to the death of election officials and security operatives.
The electoral commission thereafter vowed not to hold the legislative elections until all stakeholders could guarantee the safety of its staff and the electorate.
INEC in a statement announcing the date for the supplementary poll equally announced that rerun elections would also hold in Lagos state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Saturday, December 3, 2016.
The INEC statement which was signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs Augusta Ogakwu, said the dates were reached after months of consultations with stakeholders.
“After months of intensive planning and wide consultations, the Independent National Electoral Commission today approved the conduct of the following elections,” she said.
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