Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced the conduct of a fresh presidential and national assembly elections on Monday in seven Local Government Areas of Abia State.
Announcing this at a press briefing Sunday in Umuahia, INEC Administrative Secretary in the state, Mr Clement Oha, said the infractions and reported violence in some of the affected polling units on Saturday, informed the decision for the fresh poll
Oha identified the affected LGAs as: Obingwa, Osisioma, Aba North, Aba South, Umuahia North, Ohafia, and Arochukwu.
He said that the affected polling units in the affected LGAs had been communicated.
“We had various degrees of discrepancies with respect to the procedures that were violent to some extent.
“The Commission in their wisdom felt that the credibility of the election should not be compromised, and that there should be no winner by default. So, election must take place in the affected polling units tomorrow (Monday).”
When asked to identify the number of polling units affected, the Administrative Secretary, said it was still being gathered.
On the whereabouts of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in charge of the state, Professor Ike Uzochukwu, the Administrative Secretary, said he must have been tired and needed to rest.
“We were in a meeting here up till 2:00 am when I left. I learnt he left by 5:00 am. Certainly, he is a human being, and maybe is tired.”
