News > >INEC SATISFIED WITH GUBER ELECTIONS, REPEAT ELECTIONS TO HOLD IN FIVE STATES

 

 Briefing newsmen yesterday, the National Commissioner in charge of the Information and Publicity Committee, Barrister Philip Umeadi Jnr. said the Commission was completely satisfied with the outcome of the elections. Commissioner Umeadi Jnr., however, said repeat elections will hold in six states where malpractices took place. He listed some of the states where repeat elections will take place as Edo, Ondo, Imo, Enugu and Delta. He expressed regret at the malpractices, saying that no one foresaw the ingenuity demonstrated by the brigands that marred the elections in some states. He assured the nation that the Commission had since taken measures to curb such malpractices against the elections of tomorrow. Barrister Umeadi said the Commission had listened to suggestions made by stakeholders and observers and it was implementing most of them in order to deliver free and fair elections. Reacting to reports that Ad hoc staff in Kaduna were protesting over the non-payment of their allowances, Barrister Umeadi Jnr. disclosed that Ad hoc staff were to be paid after their assignments by international donor agencies. And since they still have the elections of tomorrow to conduct, they had no basis to complain. He said further that the Commission was not unmindful of calls by aggrieved politicians to postpone the elections of tomorrow. But he said such a an action would be unconstitutional. Besides, he added, there was a subsisting court order that the elections must hold as scheduled. 

By Rose Oriaran
Dated 20/04/2007