The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives has described the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to suspend all activities regarding the National and State House of Assembly elections in Rivers state as illegal.
It added that since the elections had already been concluded, with results announced at polling units’ level, anything contrary to announcing the total results was a breach of the Electoral Act, and a coup against the people of Rivers state.
Briefing newsmen, the Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Leo Ogor, also called for an investigation of the role of the military in the suspended Rivers election.
“The conduct and action of INEC show not just incompetence, but a regression from the gains of the reformed electoral system as championed by President Goodluck Jonathan, which enabled the APC to win the 2015 elections,” he said.
“Nigerians have witnessed serial regression by INEC in the last few months, from the inconclusive Kogi elections where an interloper was installed without a deputy, to Bayelsa, to Imo where election was aborted and now Rivers,” Ogor added.
The Minority Leader, flanked by the members of the caucus, alleged that the actions of the APC government, threatens the country’s democracy.
Speaking on the role of the military, Ogor said the ruling of the Supreme Court that armed personnel should not go near the polling unit, even when deployed for security reasons, has been disregarded.