The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has cancelled the ongoing election in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers state, following failure of voting to take place as well as sporadic shootings that engulfed other areas.
Also, voting failed to take place in Akukutoru Local Government Area due to the massive shooting.
Ballot snatcher Set ablaze in Okota Lagos state #NigeriaDecides2019 #VoteNotFight #VoteNotWar #CancelElection #NigeraDecides2019 pic.twitter.com/CUI3jdKM9L
— Okduet.com (@okduet) February 23, 2019
Sporadic shooting has been reported in the area, as seen in a video now trending on social media, but the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state have pointed accusing fingers at each other.
However, INEC spokesperson in Rivers State, Edwin Enabor, confirmed to PremiumTimes that the commission had cancelled the election in the affected area.
The spokesperson however, said that elections in the area would hold in another date.
According to him, “In Bonny, there was no election at all. The exercise there has been postponed. It will hold on another day.”
“Therefore voting did not hold in the affected registration area (ward).”
“The position of the commission is that election will be conducted separately for that registration area later.”
Meanwhile, the APC Publicity Secretary, Rivers State, Senibo Chris Finebone, has accused the PDP of being behind the violence in the areas.
In a statement sent to Vanguard, he said “PDP THUGS EMBARK ON WAR IN ABONNEMA. The general elections that took place across the country did not happen in Akukutoru Local Government Area due to the massive shooting and general violence perpetrated by thugs and cultists deployed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to disrupt the election in the area.
“Trouble started when the gunmen started heavy shooting in parts of Abonnema from Friday night. Before morning, it became obvious that both INEC ad-hoc personnel, intending voters and election materials were at risk.
“Reports monitored by APC Situation Room revealed that the shooting by PDP thugs moved to other parts of Abonnema making it impossible for any form of voting process to take place.
He also alleged saying, “Chief of staff to Governor Wike, Emeka Woke has hijacked with armed PDP thugs, ballot boxes in his home community of Isiodu, in Emohua LGA.
” PDP thugs stormed unit 9, ward 1, Khana LGA and hijacked the electoral materials. Voting was already concluded and they were sorting the papers.”