16 parties storm INEC, demand Rivers REC’s removal

Sixteen political parties from Rivers State, Nigeria, stormed the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja on Tuesday, asking for the immediate removal of the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ms. Gesilia Khan.

They said the REC must not be allowed to conduct the Saturday governorship and the state House of Assembly elections in the state.

They also called for the removal of the Head of Operations at INEC, Mr. Bocco Ekong, for allegedly conniving with the REC to rig the elections in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The political parties accused the REC of conniving with the PDP and its governorship candidate, Mr. Nyesom Wike, to rig the April 11 elections in the state.

The representatives of the 16 political parties that stormed the commission also signed a petition, which was addressed to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega.

The parties are Democratic Peoples Party (Chima Nsirim), All Progressives Grand Alliance (Terry Geoffrey), Peoples Democratic Movement (George Ngbor), Mega Progressive People’s Party (Fubara Jaja), Unity Party of Nigeria (Charles Atata), Action Alliance (Keneth Atata) United Democratic Party (Njoku Prince) and the All Progressives Alliance (Allen Nyeche).

Others are Independent Democrats (Charles Omosuku), People for Democratic Change (Tonye Bestow), Allied Congress Party Of Nigeria (Miller Osu), Peoples Party of Nigeria (Ali Oma), Citizens Popular Party(Gift Eynda), Accord Party (Precious Barido), All Progressives Congress (Davis Ikanya), and the Advance Congress of Democrats (Echefukan Nweke).

In their petition, the leaders of the aggrieved political parties referred to an earlier petition in which they asked INEC to cancel the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections in Rivers State on the grounds that they were products of compromise by INEC and the PDP.

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