INEC may conclude Rivers re-run in July –REC

From Tony John, Port Harcourt

Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Elder Aniedi Ikoiwak, has said the suspended legislative re-run poll might hold before the end of July, if the political parties in the state would abide by the conducts of elections.
The REC stated this yesterday, in Port Harcourt, during a consultative meeting with critical stakeholders in the state to brainstorm on how to successfully conduct the election without a hitch, which was suspended by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking with representatives of 28 political parties and stakeholders at the meeting, Ikoiwak said: “INEC has already started work in making peace among us. Today, the security operatives and we, are holding this meeting to tell the political parties here that we will want the rerun elections to be concluded if they are ready.
“And, if they are ready, I think we can meet up to what we need to do and get this election done before the end of July.”
Ikoiwak said the number of those who would be allowed to vote in the senatorial rerun was 947,424 credible voters in the 211 wards and 1,978 polling units in the three senatorial zones.
Also speaking at the meeting held at the Police Officers Mess, Commissioner of Police, Musa Kimo said police were ever ready to have the rerun election conducted.
Kimo, who was represented by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Operations Department, Ali Muhammed, advised politicians and their supporters to conduct themselves properly to make the exercise conducive for the voters. In his remarks, state Chairman of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Oliver Wolugbom advised politicians not to see election as a do-or-die affair.