INEC defends decision to conduct supplementary election in Ondo The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has defended its decision to conduct supplementary elections in areas where election did not hold in Ilaje/Eseodo Federal Constituency of Ondo State. On Sunday, the commission declared the by-election inconclusive. It said the difference between the votes polled by the first runner up, Mr. Kolade Akinjo of the Labour Party (LP) (23,926), and the second runner up, Mr. Adewale Kukute of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) (22,628), is less than the number of registered voters in areas where the election was cancelled or did not hold. The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Akin Orebiyi, said the winner would be announced when election is conducted in areas where it did not hold. Orebiyi said the commission would announce the date of the supplementary election. However the PDP said only an election tribunal can adjudicate on electoral matters. Speaking with reporters yesterday in Akure, the state capital, PDP alleged that the LP was planning to approach a court to seek an order that would compel INEC to declare Akinjo winner of the election. According to PDP Chairman Ebenezer Alabi, there was no election in Arogbo Ward Two because alleged LP thugs blocked the waterways to prevent the arrival of INEC officials and the supply of ballot materials to the ward. He said the LP allegedly took the action because the ward is a stronghold of the PDP. Alabi said: “In their calculations, they were unmindful of the provisions of the Electoral Law, which mandates INEC to declare the election inconclusive, if a candidate did not score a wide margin that would have rendered the outstanding votes inconsequential.” He said there was no election in New Jerusalem polling unit in Arogbo Ward One because of the unavailability of the voter register. Alabi said there were no elections in the five units of Ogogoro community in Mahin Ward Two, adding that election materials were hijacked in Mahin Ward One, particularly in Legha and Piawe units. He said INEC conducted a free and fair election, adding that electoral materials and INEC officials arrived at polling units on schedule. Alabi alleged that huge state resources were spent on the by-election by the state government.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Apr 2014 15:22:15 +0000
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