INEC vows to reject results procured through violence in C’River

Judex Okoro, Calabar

Independent National Electoral Commission has vowed to reject results procured through violence in the Saturday, December 5, Cross River State by-election.

Information and Voter Education National Ccommissioner, Festus Okoye, who disclosed this during a meeting with the state Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security in Calabar on Monday, said any election conducted without the use of card readers will not be declared by the commission.

Okoye said two resident electoral commissioners have been deployed to the state to guarantee the success of the election.

He said: “The commission will not bow to electoral violence and will not declare results procured through violence and resistance to the deployment of smart card readers.

“We are ready and have deployed two resident electoral commissioners (RECs) to Cross River to support the resident electoral commissioner here. The implication is that we have three RECs to conduct the elections.

“One REC will take charge of the Obudu state constituency election while the other one will take charge of the senatorial election.

“The REC, who is here will supervise all of them, the staff and deal with issues around security,” Okoye said.

On his part, the state Police Commissioner, Abdulkadir Jimoh, said the police is everywhere and adequate security will be provided during the elections.

Jimoh, who was represented by Okoro Julius, said: “Seven mobile units are coming from different parts of the country in addition to two mobile units we have on ground…”