[April 29, 2011] INEC Weighs Three Options to Break Imo Impasse Tweet Apr 29, 2011 (This Day/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is brainstorming on three options to address the challenge of the governorship and state House of Assembly elections in Imo State with a view to breaking the impasse. The options, according to THISDAY checks, include ordering a rerun in the belief that it is not a fresh election, because the exercise had earlier been conducted before the constitutionally stipulated deadline which is Friday. If the first option fails to fly, the investigation further revealed, the commission may declare a winner based on the result available to it as announced by the Chief Returning Officer in the state, Prof. Enoch Akabundu. Given the result so far declared, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Owelle Rochas Okorocha, had garnered 281,297, while the incumbent governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ikedi Ohakim, had polled 268,927 votes. INEC may then declare Okorocha winner with a difference of 12,370 votes and expect his opponent to challenge the result in the court of law. By its calculation, if the suit succeeds in the court and a rerun is ordered, it then becomes a judicially-ordered poll that may not be encumbered by the requirements of any sections of the Electoral Act or the constitution. The third option that the commission is pondering over is for the National Assembly to amend the constitution to allow for extra time to conduct the election. But the commission may only push the last option if the elections in Kaduna and Bauchi State are also inconclusive. This would confer on the lawmakers greater national sense of responsibility to carry out the amendment under the doctrine of necessity that can be used to address the challenges from the three states. Meanwhile, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Mr Kayode Idowu, in a statement urged the public to be patient on the Imo matter as the commission would meet today for a final decision on the state. The statement read: "In view of the difficulties experienced with the April 26, 2011 governorship and state assembly elections in Imo State, which made the Returning Officer, Prof. Enoch Akabundu, to declare the election inconclusive, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has consulted with its lawyers for advice on the next line of action. "The commission is scheduled to meet Friday, April 29, 2011 to take a final decision. "INEC hereby urges everyone concerned to be patient and await further directives, which will be communicated as soon as a decision is taken. The commission also urges everyone to be peaceful and avoid taking the laws into their hands. "The commission, once again, reiterates its resolve to ensure the highest level of integrity and credibility for the electoral process and hereby solicits the cooperation of all stakeholders." Meanwhile, in Kaduna State, Vice-President Namadi Sambo Thursday failed to deliver his Camp Road polling unit Kabala Constain, Kaduna to PDP in the governorship election. The CPC polled 247 votes, while the PDP got 148 votes. However, the polling unit which had been the centre of attraction for thousands of people who normally troop there during the previous elections causing chaos was scanty and peaceful amidst tight security by a team of armed riot and military policemen. Voter turnout in the city was a mixed grill with high turnout in some parts of the city while in some areas the polling units were scanty. In places such as Kano Road, Katsina Road, Warf Road and Gwandu Road, among several others located in the heart of the town, voter turnout was low. By 10am, accreditation in those areas was over as INEC officials sat idling away. However, in the Southern part of the city, there was massive turnout of voters as people came out with their plastic chairs, which they used on the queue. In places like Narayi, Barnawa, Kakuri, Sabo, Television, Gonin Gora and Agwan Boro among others, voter turnout was unprecedented. Accreditation started in most places between 8am and 8:30am under a peaceful atmosphere. But opposition political parties have alleged massive irregularities in some polling stations. The governorship candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Alhaji Balarabe Musa, who described the elections as disgraceful, added that the elections were characterised by irregularities as political thugs hijacked ballot boxes in some polling units in Giwa Local Government area of the state. Also, the state Chairman of the CPC, Alhaji Ahmadu Aliyu Coca Cola, alleged that CPC agents were chased away in some polling units in Kaduna metropolis. "They chased our agents in places like Sabon Tasha, Narayi, Ungwan Television, Nasarawa, Gonin Gora, Ungwan Sunday, Barnawa, Makera among other areas where there was high turnout of voters," he told THISDAY on phone. Also making similar allegations, the state Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mohammed Musa Soba, said ballot papers were snatched in some polling units in Soba Local Government area of the state. The late arrival of voters Thursday in Kaduna ensured that many polling units stayed late before concluding the process. In some polling units visited in the state capital and environs, voting was still going on well past 6pm. The late voter turnout was in contrast to the morning hours when town criers and loudspeakers from places of worship were used by community leaders and party officials to beg residents to come out of their houses and cast their votes. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]