BEVERLY HILLS, April 12, (THEWILL) – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it recorded no fewer than 66 violent incidents targeted at polling units, the Commission’s officials, voters and election materials in 18 states during the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections conducted across the country on Saturday, April 11.
It however commended Nigerians over the success of the exercise. In a statement issued on Sunday, INEC said: “Governorship elections were held in 29 States of the Federation, while State Assembly elections were held in 36 states. No election took place in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“A general assessment shows that the elections went very well across the country. According to preliminary reports, 88.9 percent of polling units opened for accreditation between 8am and 10 am across the country. Only 5.2 percent were yet to open as of 1 pm. Also, 73 percent of the polling units had commenced voting by 2.30 pm.”
“The process of accreditation with Smart Card Readers was also successful in a majority of the polling units. Initial challenges were recorded in Edo and Abia States, but the technical teams deployed to support the states were able to resolve the issues in a timely manner.”
“Overall, many parts of the country remained relatively peaceful during the elections. Some states, however, recorded a significant number of violent incidents, the most affected being Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ebonyi and Ondo States.”
“INEC’s records show that there were 66 reports of violent incidents targeted at polling units, the Commission’s officials, voters and election materials. These were in Rivers State (16 incidents), Ondo (8), Cross River and Ebonyi (6 each), Akwa Ibom (5) Bayelsa (4), Lagos and Kaduna (3 each), Jigawa, Enugu, Ekiti and Osun (2 each), Katsina, Plateau, Kogi, Abia, Imo, Kano and Ogun (1 each). The Commission is investigating these incidents and will do everything within in its powers to bring culprits to justice.”
INEC commended Nigerians for once again demonstrating their resolve and commitment to participate in the electoral process and by doing so, contributing to deepening democracy in our country.
The Commission called on every citizen to maintain the peace as the results of the Governorship and State Assembly elections are being processed, and to accept the official outcomes. Emphasising that winners can only emerge after collation of the official results and on the basis of the requirements prescribed by the legal framework, INEC said any aggrieved persons or groups should seek redress at the Tribunals.
“INEC would also like to remind all stakeholders that the process is not yet completed and urges restraint in their comments, as we strive to bring this process to an orderly, peaceful and credible conclusion,” the statement added.
