…To prosecute ad hoc staff who jettisoned Card Readers ABUJA: The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has announced the postponement of the elections in some parts of Lagos, Rivers and Anambra States following disruption of the exercise due to violence. Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Specifically, INEC said elections in Akuku Toru and Bonny local government areas of Rivers state as well as some parts of Anambra and Lagos would be conducted on a later date, saying mostly affected is the contest for the federal legislative seats. “The commission has received reports of violence and ballot box snatching in some areas leading to the disruption of the process. We have asked the Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs and the Electoral Officials on ground to submit their firsthand reports in relation to some of these incidents. We are still receiving reports relating to incidences in some states of the federatio...

Ad-hoc staff besiege INEC office in Owerri Some trained ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Saturday, besieged electoral office over alleged non-inclusion in the elections duties. The ad hoc staff numbering about 300 persons, besieged the INEC office in Owerri, awaiting information from INEC officials. One of them, Mr Mike Echetama, told NAN that they were trained staff of tertiary institutions in the state who applied to work as Collation Officers and Returning officers during the elections. Echetama, a staff of the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education Owerri said they had been at the INEC premises since the eve of the elections. He alleged that INEC had failed to publish any list of ad hoc staff for the elections, leaving them in the dark. “We learnt that only staff of the Federal University of Technology Owerri will be needed in the elections,” he said. He also lamented that if they were not shortlisted for the work they...

Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Rivers State have recovered 31 Electronic Card Readers (ECRs) believed to have been stolen from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The SRCs were recovered in a bush on Rumuji-Emohua axis of the East-West Road in the Southsouth state. They were allegedly thrown into the bush by thugs who were fleeing to escape arrest. The thugs were believed to be working for one of the major political parties. SARS yesterday notified the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Rivers State, Mr. Obo Effanga, seeking for more information and the cooperation of the commission and its officials to ensure detailed investigation. A top official of the SARS in Rivers, said that the hoodlums, who drove in a brown Toyota Camry saloon car around 9am on Saturday, were given a hot chase by operatives of the squad, making them to escape, after throwing a bag containing the 31 card readers into the bush. The SARS chief also reve...

The crowd at the rally A massive crowd has gathered at the Adokiye stadium in Port Harcourt in anticipation of the arrival of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Atiku Abubakar to the state. The people have spoken in one voice that they are ready to vote for Atiku to become President in 2019. See photos below: