Governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in last Saturday’s governorship election in Rivers State, Engr. Awara Biokpomabo, has lamented how his march to victory was suddenly halted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He said at a press conference he addressed on Monday: “The aforesaid elections held as scheduled and proceeded up to collation stage in some local government areas, and in some other local government areas, results had already been collated and declared, before the Independent National Electoral Commission suspended the remaining stages of the election, which I was in clear lead and was coasting to victory.”

He added: “Some of the unit results announced at the polling units in the Local Government were collations were not concluded clearly before the suspension of the processes show that I won over 15 local government areas.

“The INEC pleaded insecurity, violence, seizure of electoral materials by hoodlums etc. as the reasons for suspending the remaining stages of the Election. I reject the reason given by INEC.

“This because in the local government areas that were affected, voting had concluded, results declared at the polling units and collation had begun before the abrupt suspension of the process. The Commission does not have the power under our Electoral Act to suspend elections that has already been concluded.”