THE postponement of the Port Harcourt Federal Constituency 2 election almost muddled up Rivers East Senatorial District election in the area.

Though officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reported early in virtually all the 10 wards under the federal constituency, the electorates failed to turn up for accreditation on the assumption that the senatorial election was also postponed.

But following announcements on Port Harcourt-based radio stations that it was only the House of Representatives election that was shifted, the electorates started going to the various polling units to be accredited and eventually voted.

National Assembly election was generally peaceful in all the 13 federal constituencies and three senatorial districts of Rivers State, irrespective of the late arrival of electoral materials in some polling units.

At Ubima, which is the hometown of Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate and his All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) rival, Celestine Omehia, accreditation did not commence till about 11am for inexplicable reason and continued till about 1pm.

But despite the hitch, the turnout of voters was impressive, as the election was devoid of crisis.

As early as 8am yesterday, scores of eligible voters had besieged both Polling Unit 1 and 2 at Rukpokwu in Obio-Akpor local government area for accreditation, which started on schedule. The conduct of the election in both units was orderly and peaceful.

At the polling stations visited by The Guardian, voters said INEC officials after accreditation, disclosed the number of those eligible to vote before commencement of voting.

In Okrika, voters after accreditation deterred the inclement weather occasioned by light midday shower to vote.

Sources in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni told The Guardian that irrespective of the fact that both PDP and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Senatorial candidates hail from this same council, the election passed on without any violence.

-Guardian

Posted by admin on Apr 10 2011. Filed under Elections 2011, Rivers, State News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry