The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to reschedule Saturday’s election in areas where the exercise was marred by illegalities.

The chairman of PFN in Cross River State, southern Nigeria, Dr. Lawrence Ekwok urged the electoral commission to repeat the elections across polling units, wards and states where the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS machines malfunctioned and/or witnessed delayed arrival of materials.

Ekwok, who also suggested outright cancellation of centres where thugs snatched ballot boxes, results sheets or ballot papers, stated, “we are calling on INEC for the cancellation and repeat of the election in areas where some people were not allowed to vote or where the BVAS, Ballot boxes and other election materials were carted away or destroyed by political thugs.

“Other areas where elections should be cancelled and repeated includes polling units, wards or states where ballot papers did not contain the logos of some participating political parties, doing this will avoid possible protests from those, who may feel disenfranchised.”

He enjoined the people of Cross River State and Nigerians in general to turn out en masse for the March 11, 2023 governorship and state house of assembly election.

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Collation of votes is about to start in Enugu state, South-eastern Nigeria

The independent National Electoral Commission, INEC is expecting results from Returning Officers 17 local government area of the state.

Recall that in some local government areas voters voted into the night and early Sunday morning, due to late arrival of election materials.

According to the Enugu state Residents electoral commissioner, Prof Joseph Chukwuemeka, INEC chairman had given instructions that places where voting started late be given opportunity to finish on Sunday between 8am to 12 noon.

Mr Chukwuemeka is pleased with both the voters turn out and the exercise.

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The Cross River Command of the Nigeria Police Force in Southern Nigeria has attributed the peaceful conduct of the presidential and national assembly elections to the strengthened security network amongst operatives.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police Irene Ugbo, who spoke with Voice of Nigeria said: “The conduct of the election across the state has been fair if not perfect because of the modalities we put in place. We made our network so strong and impregnable for hoodlums to penetrate and cause mayhem.

“They could not infiltrate, they (hoodlums) could not come in to disrupt the exercise. You will agree with me that since Friday evening through Saturday, which was the main day of the election until now, we are all enjoying the peace. We are currently at the office waiting for results to come in. Everywhere is calm and there is no problem at all,” Ugbo stated.

On the purported arrest of the House of Representative member representing Calabar South, Akpabuyo and Bakassi Federal Constituency, Mr. Essien Ayi, she stated, “that was since yesterday. We got information that some of his people were trying to be funny. So, we had to invite him and ensured he gives us a guarantee that his people would desist from disturbing the peace. After that, he was free to leave.”

“Ours is to protect the lives, property and freedom of citizens, of all people. That was one of the reasons we took time to inform the public of the restrictions of vehicular movement from midnight on Friday through 6 o’ clock Saturday evening.

“The command is resolute and committed to ensuring peaceful and professional conduct as required by the rules of engagement. We also made public telephone two helplines besides reminding the people that election was not worth dying for, but an opportunity to make a choice,” she added.

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