Bayelsa election: INEC Fixes January 9, 2016 For Southern Ijaw Rerun

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has
scheduled the rerun poll for Southern Ijaw local council in Bayelsa state for Saturday, January 9, 2016.

According to The Guardian, sources within the commission said the tentative date seems to be widely acceptable to all the participants in the election.

One of the sources said: “INEC wants to consult with the various stake holders and needs time to prepare for the make or mar re-run.”

The INEC boss, along with his top lieutenants on Wednesday, December 16, met with security chiefs in the area including the Commissioner of Police, Sanusi Oki, his Army counterpart, Major General Alali Okunola and those of the Naval, Air Force and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps.

The security situation during the recent election was discussed at the meeting, while plans were laid out to prevent a recurrence of the lapses recorded in the last poll.

INEC chairman is set to meet with all the parties that participated in the last election, together with all the candidates on Thursday, December 17, in Abuja.

INEC had earlier scheduled Saturday, December 19, as the possible date for the rerun poll in the troubled Southern Ijaw local government council.

The resident electoral commissioner Baritor Lenu Kpagih said that the final decision on when to repeat the cancelled election was with the commission, the efforts were on top gear to enable that the poll would not surpass the 14 days requirement by the Electoral Act.

The national commission annulled the December 5-6 Bayelsa state governorship poll in Southern Ijaw local government area because of violence, abduction of electoral officials and ballot box snatching.