By: Felix Ikpotor
Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State, Aniedi Ikoiwak says the commission is ready to conclude rerun elections in the remaining eight local government areas of the state.
Ikoiwak stated this in a stakeholders meeting in Port Harcourt, stressing that the elections would be concluded as directed by the headquarters if all stakeholders cooperate and agree with the commission and ensure peace in the state the elections will be concluded before the end of July 2016.
“if all stakeholders agree we would be able to conclude the elections between now and end of July”
The state INEC boss stated further that: “It is necessary to allow elections to be concluded especially now that it is difficult to conduct new ones”
He further promised that the results of the areas where elections have been concluded are still intact.
On his part, the state chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Ibiamu Ikanya said until electoral offenders are prosecuted the elections will not be peaceful.
He maintained that a situation whereby those who perpetrates electoral violence are allowed to go free would give them the liberty to continue in the act during elections.
Also speaking, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for Rivers East Senatorial District, George Sekibo exonerated the PDP from electoral violence in the state.
He posited that his party is in power so they cannot sponsor violence in the state.
Sekibo urged the army and other security agencies to be neutral for the process to be peaceful.
