THE Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) is probing 66 violent incidents in 19 states
during Saturday’s governorship and Houses of Assembly elections.
It vowed to bring the culprits to
justice after the conclusion of its investigation.
The commission, in a statement in
Abuja, asked those aggrieved over the results of the elections to seek redress
in tribunals instead of taking the laws into their hands.
It, however, claimed that the
elections were generally peaceful with 88.9 per cent of polling units opened
for accreditation between 8am and 10am.
The statement said: “Overall,
many parts of the country remained relatively peaceful during the elections.
Some states, however, recorded a significant number of violent incidents, the
most affected being Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ebonyi and Ondo states.
“INEC’s records show that there
were 66 reports of violent incidents targeted at polling units, the
commission’s officials, voters and election materials.
“These were in Rivers State (16
incidents), Ondo (eight), Cross River and Ebonyi (six each), Akwa Ibom (five)
Bayelsa (four), Lagos and Kaduna (three each), Jigawa, Enugu, Ekiti and Osun
(two each), Katsina, Plateau, Kogi, Abia, Imo, Kano and Ogun (one each).
“The Commission is investigating
these incidents and will do everything within its powers to bring culprits to
justice.”
INEC advised those aggrieved
about the outcome of the elections to go to tribunals in line with the
Electoral Act.
The statement added: “INEC
commends Nigerians for once again demonstrating their resolve and commitment to
participate in the electoral process and by doing so, contributing to deepening
democracy in our country.
“The commission calls on every
citizen to maintain the peace as the results of the governorship and State
Assembly elections are being processed, and to accept the official outcomes.
“It would like to emphasise that
winners can only emerge after collation of the official results and on the
basis of the requirements prescribed by the legal framework. Any aggrieved
persons or groups are encouraged to seek redress at the tribunals.
“INEC would also like to remind
all stakeholders that the process is not yet completed and urges restraint in
their comments, as we strive to bring this process to an orderly, peaceful and
credible conclusion.”
Notwithstanding, the commission
said a general assessment indicated that the elections were smoother and
largely peaceful.
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