The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released a timeline for the governorship and state house of assembly elections in Rivers State.

INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education, Mr Festus Okoye, announced this during a press conference on Thursday at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

He disclosed that the electoral body has decided to resume the collation and announcement of results in the state between April 2 and 5.

Mr Okoye explained that INEC would conduct supplementary election where necessary, and in some constituencies not affected by litigation on April 13.

Afterwards, he said the issuance of all outstanding certificates of return would be concluded on April 19.

According to the INEC official, the commission will hold an inter-agency security meeting on March 29, after which guidelines would be issued on the election.

He revealed that INEC would deploy national commissioners in various states where supplementary election would take place, to monitor the process and present certificates of return to the winners.

On the elections in Bauchi, Okoye noted that an interlocutory injunction had been served on the electoral body.

He, however, said the supplementary election would go on in the state, apart from Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area (LGA) which was the subject of litigation before the court.

He added that the exercise would hold in two state constituencies in Adamawa State, north-west Nigeria.

The INEC official informed reporters that the winners of the governorship election in various states announced so far would be presented with their certificates of return between March 27 and 29.

He said INEC would announce the names of supervising national commissioners to issue the certificates before Wednesday next week.

Okoye encouraged voters to turn up for the supplementary election which has been scheduled to take place on March 23.

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

•Sourced from a Channels TV report

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