The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why it accepted the results of some by-elections held last Saturday despite violence and disruption of the processes in some areas across the 11 states where the elections took place.
The commission had also rejected results in many parts of Essien Udim Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State and Orlu, in Imo State, where INEC officials were abducted and diverted to an undesignated location and forced to compromise the elections. Mr. Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC) stated this after the commission’s management meeting.
“Regrettably, deviant behaviour by a few persons determined to subvert the people’s will was noticed in a few areas in the course of the elections. These isolated incidents minimally affected the peaceful and orderly exercise in only four of the 28 constituencies where elections were conducted.
“In Akwa-Ibom State, where the officials of the commission were abducted and diverted to an undesignated location and forced to compromise the elections in Essien Udim Local Government Area, all the polling units involved were identified and their results discountenanced.
“In Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State, the activities of bandits prevented the commission from deploying to a few polling units, but it successfully conducted elections and declared results.
“In Abi State Constituency of Cross River State, officials of the commission were abducted and thus prevented from deploying in eight polling units. All officials of the commission that were abducted have been rescued and accounted for,” Okoye said.
