The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed April 25 for re-run of the 2015 governorship and some constituencies in the state House of Assembly elections in Imo and Taraba states.

It has similarly fixed the supplementary governorship election for Abia State on the same day. The April 11 elections had been inconclusive in the three states by INEC.

Dr Gabriel Ada, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Imo State, announced April 25 as the date for the re-run election during a news conference today in Owerri.

In Imo, the governorship poll was declared inconclusive following the cancellation of results in more than 250 polling units in 23 of the 27 local government areas. The rer-run will be between Governor Rochas Okorocha of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to Ada, the state constituencies affected in the re-run include Ikeduru, Isiala Mbano, Isu, Oguta, Owerri West, and Oru East.

Ada explained that INEC ordered re-run for the governorship election because of the 79,000 difference between the votes scored by the leading and the second candidates.

“The registered voters in the affected polling units are more than 145,000 and when you consider this figure with the difference, you discover that it was quite substantial number of voters,” he said.

Ada, who gave a breakdown of the state assembly results where the exercise had been concluded, said APC won 16 seats, PDP five, while six were inconclusive.

He further explained that some ad-hoc workers were being investigated for their roles in the manipulation of results during March 28 and April 11 elections.

“We have several cases of figures being subverted from polling units to ward and down to the local government areas.

“INEC is investigating all these matters and those found culpable will be prosecuted,” he said.

Ada told reporters that the commission would continue to do its best to ensure that the elections remained free, fair and credible and advised people to respect the rules.

In the case of Taraba, INEC Head of Public Affairs, Fabian Yame, disclosed the re-run date to newsmen yesterday in Jalingo.

The contest is said to be between Aisha Alhassan of APC and Darius Ishaku of PDP.

INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Mohammed Kyari, had on Monday declared the governorship election inconclusive.

Mohammad said the number of cancelled votes totalling 127,125 were more than the 54,812 margin between the PDP candidate who polled 317,198 and the APC candidate with 262,386 votes.

He said the constitution and the Electoral Act states that if the difference between the cancelled votes was higher than the margin between the first and the second person, elections should be declared inclusive and a run off held.

The run-off election will be held in the whole of Donga Local Government and some polling units in Bali, Karim Lamido, Takum, Ussa, Wukari, Yorro and Zing.

In Abia, the supplementary election would be between Okezie Ikpeazu of PDP and Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). It will hold in selected polling units in Aba North and South, Osisioma, Ugwunagbo,, Umuahia North, Isiala Ngwa North, Obingwa, Ohafia and Ikwuano.

•Photo shows INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega.

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