Port Harcourt – Sen. Olaka Nwogu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Rivers South-East Senatorial District, on Friday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to announce result of the legislative re-run election for Tai Local Government Area.
Nwogu told a news conference in Port Harcourt that INEC had cancelled the May 19 re-run election held in the local government and that it be would be unwise to announce the result.
He said that the party was shocked when the commission`s head of election operations said at a stakeholders meeting in the state that the result would be announced.
“We are aware that on election day, INEC cancelled the election held in the local government. But surprisingly, a month after, INEC set up a committee and said that they had seen the results of the local government.”
Nwogu, a former Chairman of Eleme Local Government Area, said it would be unfair if the commission went ahead to announce the result because Tai was among the eight local governments whose results were cancelled on May 19.
He said that the PDP wanted the commission to conduct another election in the local government to allow the people to choose their candidate.
“INEC said we should go and study the documents and make our submissions. We will let INEC know that they cannot cancel an election and receive results from same election.
“It will be humiliating to announce the same election result initially cancelled. It will be unfair to do so.”
Nwogu said the people have a duty to ask and demand for their rights in such circumstance, adding that the best option was to conduct another election in the area.(NAN)