INEC MUST NOT CONTRADICT ITSELF BY ANNOUNCING RESULTS FOR ETCHE/OMUMA RERUN ELECTIONS IT HAS EARLIER DECLARED INCONCLUSIVE – R/S APC

By APC Rivers
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The Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, recalls that yesterday’s (Saturday) supplementary rerun elections for Etche State Constituency and Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency were formally declared inconclusive by the Returning Officers, Prof. Olatunbosun Odusanya and Prof. Omotola respectively at the Okehi, Saturday. They subsequently announced that the conclusion of the process will take place today (Sunday) or on Monday.

However, we are taken aback by signals indicating that the National Electoral Commissioner in charge, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu has ordered that the incomplete results be declared despite the earlier declaration by the two Returning Officers on Saturday at Okehi that the elections were inconclusive.

It is pertinent to remind INEC that in line with the relevant section of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) it is only the returning Officers that are empowered to announce results of elections and not the National Electoral Commissioner, the Resident Electoral Commissioner or any other.

The APC strongly urges INEC not to go ahead to declare results for elections that it has earlier announced as inconclusive as this will signpost a gross violation of its own rules and demonstrate the height of inconsistency and illegality on the part of INEC. We urge INEC to proceed to conclude the elections without further delay before declaring the results accordingly.

Warisenibo Chris Finebone
State Publicity Secretary
Sun, 26th Feb, 2017