The Rivers State chapter of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has set a new date for the Rivers State rerun elections into the National Assembly and State House of Assembly.
The new date of March 19 puts to rest disagreements by some political parties in the state over the February 6 date earlier scheduled for the polls.
Confirming the new date, the spokesperson for INEC in Rivers State, Tonia Nwoye, told Channels Television’s correspondent, Emmanuel Ereyi, that the new date would allow political parties prepare for the elections.
Thirty-seven seats are expected to filled with the rerun elections into the National and State House of Assemblies and these include 22 seats out of 32 in the Rivers State House of Assembly, 12 House of Representatives and all three Senatorial seats.
Nwoye said the new date was approved by the headquarters of the electoral body.
On January 28, INEC officials and political party leaders had gathered in the premises of the Rivers State Headquarters of the Commission in Port Harcourt for an update on the preparations of the electoral body for the rerun elections.
On that day, February 6 was announced as what the commission called, the tentative date for the poll.
That announcement stirred controversy among some political parties in the state, but the out-gone Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Gesila khan, said the situation was subject to the law.
But INEC decided to choose a new date for the rerun election.
With the new date, political parties are expected to use the available time to sell their manifestos.
