- The affected constituencies are Ahoada East Constituency 2, vacated by former lawmaker Edison Ehie following his resignation
- All Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices have been configured, and non-sensitive materials are already in place
- He added that the PDP did not conduct primaries at all, while the Labour Party cited ongoing litigation as the reason for its absence
The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced that the Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party and African Democratic Congress will not participate in the February 21 bye-elections for two seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the disclosure was made on Friday in Port Harcourt by the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Gabriel Yomere, during a consultative meeting with security agencies.
EDITOR’S PICK
- Senate Approves Electronic Transmission of Polling Unit Results
- Nigeria Reopens Kamba, Tsamiya Borders to Boost Cross-Border Trade
- Ibeju-Lekki LG Announces ATM Card Distribution for 3rd Batch CCT Beneficiaries
According to him, 12 candidates drawn from seven political parties have been cleared to contest the polls.
The affected constituencies are Ahoada East Constituency 2, vacated by former lawmaker Edison Ehie following his resignation, and Khana Constituency 2, left vacant after the death of Dinebari Loolo in September 2023.
Yomere explained that the excluded parties failed to meet key requirements set by the commission.
He noted that while the ADC conducted primaries, it did not upload the results to INEC’s designated portal within the stipulated timeframe, leading to its disqualification.
He added that the PDP did not conduct primaries at all, while the Labour Party cited ongoing litigation as the reason for its absence from the process.
He listed the parties cleared for the election as AA, APC, APN, BP, NNPP, YPP and ZLP. Of the 12 candidates, seven will contest in Ahoada East 2, while five will vie for the Khana 2 seat.
The commissioner assured residents that the exercise would be transparent and credible. He also announced that movement would be restricted in the affected constituencies on election day.
All Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices have been configured, and non-sensitive materials are already in place.
Yomere further stated that the elections would be conducted exclusively by INEC’s regular staff, without the involvement of ad hoc personnel.
FURTHER READING
