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| Officials count votes in front of voters during the presidential and parliamentary elections on February 23, 2019, at a polling station in Port Harcourt, southern Nigeria. – Nigerians began voting for a new president on February 23, after a week-long delay that has raised political tempers, sparked conspiracy claims and stoked fears of violence. Some 120,000 polling stations began opening from 0700 GMT, although there were indications of a delay in the delivery of some materials and deployment of staff, AFP reporters said. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP) |
The Resident Electoral Commission (REC), Rivers, Mr Obo Effanga, has confirmed reports of election disruptions in some local government areas but said the commission is working with the police to arrest the situation.
Effanga made the assertion while fielding questions from newsmen in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
According to him, the commission is taking note of the areas where there are disruptions of the election processes.
He also said that the commission was yet to find out exactly what happened about the information that one of the staff was allegedly missing.
“We are working together with the security agencies to ensure that the lives and property of our staff and electorate are secure before conducting election at the areas we got information that miscreants were trying to disrupt elections.
“We are considering taking care of the welfare and safety of our personnel involved in the election,” Effanga said.
In his response, Mr Enabor Edwin, the Head of Voters Education (HOD), also said that the alleged fake result sheet by APC agents in Bonny was a fake report.
Edwin said that the materials were inspected at the Central Bank premises before they were moved to their various local government areas.
He said that the alleged missing election materials in ward 6,7,8 and 9 in Okrika area had been reported to the State Commissioner of Police.
“We have got in touch with the CP and has also got in touch with the Garrison Commander here, who said they will send some security men to go to the area.
“The security would be there until the election is over so that the miscreants would not disrupt the election again.
“We heard that two of our units in Emoha were disrupted but that has not stop the election to continue in that area, the election officer said that the election is still ongoing in the area.
“We are also aware of an alleged report from Okrika area that the election materials were carted away by hoodlums.
“We heard that people who carted away the materials were led by a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of that local government area.
”And this report had been made to the Commissioner of Police (CP), who has been making calls to get the DPO so that the issue would be taking care of.
“Elections are going on smoothly in Obiakpor, we also got a report from Abonema that some people want to disrupt the election, but the security personnel are on their way now to arrest the situation,” Edwin said.
Similarly, Mr Precious Elekima, the Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic party (SDP), who is from Abonema told NAN on telephone that he was yet to cast his vote as at 2.49 p.m.
Elekima said that the election materials were yet to arrive at the centre.(NAN)
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Effanga made the assertion while fielding questions from newsmen in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
According to him, the commission is taking note of the areas where there are disruptions of the election processes.
He also said that the commission was yet to find out exactly what happened about the information that one of the staff was allegedly missing.
“We are working together with the security agencies to ensure that the lives and property of our staff and electorate are secure before conducting election at the areas we got information that miscreants were trying to disrupt elections.
“We are considering taking care of the welfare and safety of our personnel involved in the election,” Effanga said.
In his response, Mr Enabor Edwin, the Head of Voters Education (HOD), also said that the alleged fake result sheet by APC agents in Bonny was a fake report.
Edwin said that the materials were inspected at the Central Bank premises before they were moved to their various local government areas.
He said that the alleged missing election materials in ward 6,7,8 and 9 in Okrika area had been reported to the State Commissioner of Police.
“We have got in touch with the CP and has also got in touch with the Garrison Commander here, who said they will send some security men to go to the area.
“The security would be there until the election is over so that the miscreants would not disrupt the election again.
“We heard that two of our units in Emoha were disrupted but that has not stop the election to continue in that area, the election officer said that the election is still ongoing in the area.
“We are also aware of an alleged report from Okrika area that the election materials were carted away by hoodlums.
“We heard that people who carted away the materials were led by a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of that local government area.
”And this report had been made to the Commissioner of Police (CP), who has been making calls to get the DPO so that the issue would be taking care of.
“Elections are going on smoothly in Obiakpor, we also got a report from Abonema that some people want to disrupt the election, but the security personnel are on their way now to arrest the situation,” Edwin said.
Similarly, Mr Precious Elekima, the Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic party (SDP), who is from Abonema told NAN on telephone that he was yet to cast his vote as at 2.49 p.m.
Elekima said that the election materials were yet to arrive at the centre.(NAN)
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