The gubernatorial candidate of the Accord Party in Rivers state, Chief Dumo Lulu- Briggs has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the March 9 Governorship and House of Assembly elections for lack of credibility.
Lulu-Briggs said this on Thursday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital.
He said the call was necessitated by the INEC’s testimony on the gross electoral misconduct and insecurity that led to cancellation of elections in several polling units in the state.
The politician said that the subsequent suspension of the process was enough reason to ask for a fresh election in the state.
“What is most important is the credibility of the electoral process and legitimacy of any government.
“Remember that on March 9, INEC had issued a press statement that reports from their men on the field indicated that there were wide spread irregularities and violence in substantial polling units and collation centres.
“That INEC staff was taken hostage and materials, including result sheets were destroyed by unauthorised persons.
“And that they could no longer vouch for the credibility of the electoral process.
“INEC having raised such an alarm in this sort of atmosphere, the various party agents went back to their houses,” he said.
Lulu-Briggs said it was disheartening that INEC was now saying that they have some results they intend to collate and announce, tell me how credible such result could be?
“Even if they are authentic results, what confidence will the people have in the electoral umpire who kept the acclaimed results without the monitoring of party agents?
“It’s said that justice should not only be done but should also be seen to have been done,’ Lulu-Briggs said.
The Accord Party candidate said that whatever INEC intended to do outside conducting a fresh election in the state could cause mayhem.
He said that since INEC openly admitted that they could no longer vouch for the credibility of the process they should conduct a fresh poll to avert crises in the state.
