Information reaching our political desk has revealed that members of the All Progressives Congress, APC may not participate in the forthcoming re-run elections in Rivers State.
The Newswriter newspaper authoritatively gathered that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has fixed July 30, 2016 to conduct re-run polls in the various constituencies and senatorial districts where the March 19 elections were suspended.
It would be recalled that the INEC cancelled re-run polls of March 19, in eight (8) local government areas due to reports of numerous attacks resulting in kidnapping, ballots snatching, diversion of electoral officials and electoral materials. Reports also had that some INEC officials and adhoc personal were attacked, wounded and killed.
Sources hinted this publication that the state leadership of the APC has lost confidence in the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC for Rivers State, Aniedi Ikiowak.
The APC accused the Rivers Resident Electoral Commissioner of compromise adding that the party will boycott the re-run polls if Ikiowak remains the REC in the state.
Recently a peace parley was organized by INEC for political parties in Rivers State. In the said meeting APC members were conspicuously absent without any reason given.
But a chieftain of APC simply identified himself as Chief John Jonah told our political correspondent that with the Rivers REC, APC as a party cannot go far in the political journey of the State.
On Monday, while addressing journalists in Port Harcourt, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, the APC candidate for Rivers South-East Senatorial District re-run election accused Ikoiwak of being a contractor to the Ministry of Education when Governor Nyesom Wike was the Minister. Thus according to Senator Abe such a man cannot provide level playing ground for all political parties during the re-scheduled election slated to hold on July 30, 2016.
Abe slammed the Rivers REC noing that the APC expressed very grave misgiving about his conduct during the March 19, elections.
He called on the relevant authorities to critically look into the continuous stay of Ikoiwak as the REC in Rivers State, before he (Ikoiwak) causes serious harm to the electoral system in the state.
The Senator exposed some of the evil deeds of the Rivers REC especially in PHALGA and TAI LGA, which he alleged include falsification of election results and non-compliance of electoral guidelines. ###
