"Gains of 2015 Elections Under Threat" Observer Groups

A coalition of Observer Groups under the Foreign Observers, Domestic and and Civil Society Groups For Rivers rerun elections 2016 has raised an alarm that the gains of the 2015 elections which received world wide acclaim is under threat especially with the irregularities that greeted the March 19th  National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly rerun elections in the state.

The coalition decried the dearth of observer groups that covered the rerun elections in  the state saying it is not good for the credibility of elections.
The observer groups in an international press conference in Rivers state condemned the conduct of electoral officials in the rerun elections in some parts of the state. The spokesman of the Observer coalition  Mr. Herbert Prince who is the Coordinator of West African Network of Election Observers  said the activities of hoodlums in Tai local government was deplorable. He said the areas he and his group covered in Tai LGA did not witness any form of elections despite the large presence of eligible and willing voters. He said there were allegations by the voters that a group of thugs came and carted away with voting materials in the area. The Coalition spokesman said other observer groups that covered the LGA did witness the snatching of ballot boxes in some wards in the LGA.

Answering a reporter's question, the spokesman of the observer group said it is imperative that politicians seek a way of reaching out to each other in order to douse tensions. The spokesman said the observer groups are ready to submit their reports to INEC and any authourity in event of any litigation  that may arise as a result of the conduct of the elections.

He said they are proposing that election results be announced immediately votes have been caste stressing that they support the call for fresh elections in the eight local governments.