Professor Attahiru Jega, INEC chairman
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled a rerun in some areas of the Ika North Federal Constituency, Delta State, for April 26, Chairman of the commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said.
Speaking in Abuja Thursday at a press conference on the forthcoming governorship and state assembly polls scheduled for April 26, Jega also informed the nation that INEC would organise a rerun in some wards in Anambra Central Senatorial districts where the April 9 elections were inclusive.
He said investigation was going on in Bayelsa Central Senatorial district where a serving Senator (Heineken Lokpobiri) was under investigation for allegedly diverting electoral materials on April 9.
Shedding more light on who was wrong among the two returning officers in Anambra Central Senatorial district crisis, Jega said that Dr.Alex Anene did the wrong thing by declaring the result in a hotel room in a cardboard paper saying that he was being investigated by the security agencies for his role in the whole saga.
The battle for the Ika federal constituency had locked the incumbent, Hon Doris Uboh of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and her main challenger, Mr. Victor Nwokolo of the ACCORD Party in a fierce battle.
This led Nwokolo to file a petition with the police in Agbor, Delta State, complaining against the Returning Officer for the constituency, Mr. O. G. Avwioro, over his “persistent” refusal to release his result sheet to him (Nwokolo). He said he polled 17,205 to defeat Uboh, who scored 14,729 votes. Festus Okoh of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) polled 9,533 votes.
In the Anambra State saga, THISDAY had reported that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the state, Prof. Emeka Onukaogu, and two Returning Officers (RO) in Anambra Central Senatorial district – Dr. Alex Anene and Prof Charles Esimone - were last week arrested and taken away by operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) in Awka and brought to Abuja for interrogation.
The arrested trio, who have been at the centre of the crisis that erupted in the district after the election on April 16, have also been grilled by the special panel on Anambra State that was set up by INEC.
Both Ngige and Akunyili have been laying claims to victory following the confusion that arose over the results of the election.
Akunyili had told journalists that the purported victory being claimed by Ngige could not stand because it’s a true reflection of the voting in the zone last Saturday.
She alleged that the returning officer (Anene), who absconded and reappeared later to announce Ngige as winner did it in a hotel with only Ngige’s supporters around him.
Akunyili also faulted Anene’s argument that he ran away for his life, saying instead of reporting to the police or other security agencies for protection, he appeared in a hotel allegedly owned by Nigige.
However, Ngige on his part, said in an eight-page petition to the INEC Chairman, Jega, that he has already been declared winner and asked the commission to release his Certificate of Return to him.
“I ask you to cause my Certificate of Return to be issued to me immediately since I have been returned and declared the winner of the Anambra Central Senatorial district election,” Ngige said.
He also asked for the reversal of all illegal pronouncements on the REC and his removal and redeployment from Anambra State.
On the allegation that he took the RO into hiding in his hotel, Ngige said he owns no hotel in Anambra State or anywhere in Nigeria.
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