THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Monday, said that more than 25 of its workers were hospitalised due to Saturday’s supplementary election held in Etche, Rivers State.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Aniedi Ikoiwak, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt that the victims were attacked and wounded by Rivers people.
According to him, one of the victims regained consciousness on Sunday.
“This is one area that Nigerians should ask questions: over 25 INEC staff members are in the hospital today because the people of Rivers State decided to either kill or wound them.
“They were all beaten up because they went to those villages to conduct an election.
“Let the people of Rivers State tell us the offence of any of them.
“What did they do? They were bringing materials for the election; they decided to descend on them, beat them up, collect their personal belongings and run away,” he said.
Ikoiwak noted that the victims were on official duties and needed a peaceful environment to achieve success.
He called on Nigerians to condemn the alleged attack.
NAN reported that about 700 staff members of the commission were mobilised for the supplementary legislative election in Etche.
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) had withdrawn from assisting INEC in the election due to security issues.
Meanwhile, INEC said that the result of the supplementary election held in Etche was announced in Port Harcourt because of security reasons.
The resident electoral commissioner explained that certain circumstances made the returning officer of the Etche/Omuma federal constituency to declare the result by simple majority in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
Ikoiwak explained that after collating the result in Etche by 2:00a.m., the returning officer needed to consult a relevant section of the law to be able to declare the result.
He explained that the officer needed the law because he felt that areas where the election was cancelled were many.
Ikoiwak said that at 2:00a.m., the law department of the commission could not go to Etche with the law due to security reasons and the officer was advised to come down to Port Harcourt.
He said that the officer was equally advised to tell the people, including the political parties at Etche, to come to the INEC headquarters in the state at 9:00a.m for declaration of the result.
He urged the public to try to find out things about INEC, adding, “We have to do our work even though we are working in a very dangerous circumstance.
“No need to say because people are trying to kill you so you will not follow the work according to the rule.
“So, what we did was the right thing by declaring, we are not interested in who won, what we know was to declare whosoever was voted for,” he said.
In a related development, Rivers Police Command, on Monday, said it received 35 suspected election offenders from the Nigeria Army.
The command’s spokesman, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, disclosed this to the NAN in a telephone interview in Port Harcourt.
The army had made the arrest on Saturday during the Etche/Omuma federal constituency and Etche state constituency elections.
Omoni said that the suspects were handed over to the command on Sunday night and was still awaiting more to be handed over.
He said the suspects were being interrogated and would be arraigned in court after the remaining ones had been handed over to police and interrogated.