The planned inspection of electoral materials used for governorship and house of assembly elections in Rivers State on 11th of April suffered a setback yesterday.

The planned inspection of electoral materials used for governorship and house of assembly elections in Rivers State on 11th of April suffered a setback yesterday. The inspection was meant to take place at the Secretariat of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Port Harcourt, as directed by the Rivers State Election Tribunals sitting in Abuja. Correspondent UCHENDU EJIOWHOR reports that the inspection was meant to involve representatives of INEC and PDP who are respondents in the petitions; as well as representatives of the APC who are the petitioners.  

However; the APC withdrew from the exercise on grounds that they were not allowed to inspect, scan and make photocopies of all the materials used for the election. One of the lawyers for the APC, HENRY ODILI accused INEC of disobeying the order of the tribunal on grounds of an application before the Court of Appeal. On his part, a lawyer to the PDP, ERASTUS AWORTU argued that the last ruling by Tribunal had set aside the APC’s request for the use of forensic experts to conduct biometric inspection of the election materials. In his response to the development; the Solicitor to INEC, JULIUS MBA told newsmen that the relevant parties attended a meeting on Tuesday to work out modalities for the inspection of election materials. 

MBA however noted that representatives of the APC refused to endorse a resolution for the inspection to commence as planned. JULIUS MBA said the Independent National Electoral Commission will continue to wait until when the parties respond to the order for inspection of election materials.