Amaechi loses LGA to Wike as INEC halts collation of results

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday says the results of 17 local government areas remained intact, and has also scheduled supplementary election in the remaining six local government areas for April 13.

So far, results from about three local government areas have been announced at the collation centre in Port Harcourt.

In Ikwerre local government area where Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation hails from, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) polled 14, 938 while the African Action Congress (AAC) polled 5, 660. PDP also won Port Harcourt local government area with 40, 197 votes, and AAC polled 11, 866.

The contest is mainly between Nyesom Wike, incumbent governor and candidate of the PDP and Awara Biokpomabo, candidate of the AAC.

The AAC candidate is being backed by Amaechi. On the eve of the March 9 gubernatorial election, Amaechi had directed his supporters to vote for Biokpomabo.

Earlier, an Abuja high court dismissed a suit filed by the AAC seeking to stop INEC from collating the results. Inyang Ekwo, the judge, held that since the case was related to election, it was appropriate for the plaintiffs to take their case before an election tribunal.

Abua Odual, Ahoada West, Gokana, Khana, Asari Toru and Degema are the six local government areas where supplementary election is expected to hold.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday halted the collation of results for the governorship election in the State.

INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Obo Effanga, who announced this at the collation centre in Port Harcourt, said the commission would continue with the exercise at 10am on Wednesday.

The announcement followed the collation of results from 15 Local Government Areas of the state.

INEC had suspended all electoral processes in Rivers on March 10, following reports of widespread disruption of elections in the state.

According to the timeline released by INEC on March 21, INEC will resume the collation and announcement of election results in Rivers between April 2 and 5.

The electoral body will conclude the issuance of all outstanding certificates of return on April 19.