Corp member shot as INEC cancels Reps rerun election in Akwa Ibom

Widespread violence has forced INEC to cancel Saturday's rerun poll in Akwa Ibom's Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom, Cyril Omorogbe, informed journalists in Uyo that the rerun election in the area was terrible.

He stated that the election was canceled in all 17 polling locations due to the theft of electoral materials, including Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) equipment.

"The fact is that we had about four local government areas where we conducted elections and one major one was Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency.

"We were there early enough and at about 8:30 a.m., polling units were opened. Couple of hours after we opened the polls, I received a call that BVAS machines were snatched.

"Two hours after that I received another report that was not good. So, the election in Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency has been cancelled.

"They were fighting all through the local government area in the 17 polling units. I received a report from Collation Officers in the area that election did not hold.

"In the 17 polling units, materials were either snatched or the process disrupted.

"The Collation Officers have all returned and have written their reports. The result sheets they were supposed to fill are all here in Uyo. Apparently, there was no election," he said.

Mr Omorogbe expressed concern that the violence resulted in the shooting in the leg of one of the corps members on election duty.

He was perplexed as to why politicians would be so desperate in a federal constituency race that they would shoot an innocent corps member.

"The corps member was shot, and he's still in the hospital," he explained.

Mr Omorogbe went on to say that no unfavorable reports had been received in the Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency, and that the results would be announced.

He stated that after a meeting in Abuja, INEC would decide on the next course of action in the Ikono/Ini federal constituency.