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The Independent National Electoral Commission has given conditions for the conduct of the remaining rerun elections in the country.
It said there was no way it would return to conduct such elections until peace returns to the affected states or areas.
The commission stated this in a statement issued by its Secretary, Mrs. Agusta Ogakwu, in Abuja on Friday.
Ogakwu said the commission arrived at the decision after its management meeting in Abuja, where it considered the options open to it to resolve the impasse.
She said that in the course of its deliberations, the commission observed that its inability to conduct or conclude the elections arose out of many reasons.
These reasons, she said, included violent resistance to the commencement of the polls, which she said was crucial in lmo North Senatorial and three state constituencies in Imo State.
She also listed disruption of polls after commencement in Kogi East Senatorial District, ldah State Constituency, all senatorial and some House at Representatives and State Houses of Assembly elections in Rivers State.
Ogakwu said, “The commission noted that the violence which attended the elections resulted in the death of a poll official, maiming and various other degrees of injuries, intimidation and psychological trauma to innocent voters and its personnel, as well as political party agents/supporters and protagonists alike.
“While it is committed to obeying the orders of the tribunals and courts as well as fulfilling its constitutional and statutory mandate, as a responsible public institution, INEC restates its resolve and responsibility not to unnecessarily expose its members of staff or stakeholders to danger and to avoid any action that will likely lead to a threat of, or breakdown of law and order.
“Consequently and in the public interest, the commission has resolved to engage the political parties in its capacity as their regulator as well as the principal manager of the electoral process; engage the security agencies as custodians who are statutorily responsible for the maintenance of law and order.”
She added that the commission was also enlisting the intervention of relevant governmental agencies, as well as civil society organisations, religious bodies and traditional institutions with relevant cognate experience and their peace building and conflict resolution assets and resources in building consensus, with a view to securing a conducive atmosphere for the peaceful conduct of the elections.
She said that the commission can only proceed with the conduct or conclusion of the elections where “there is a firm and unequivocal commitment to violence-free polls by the affected political parties and relevant stakeholders.”
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