The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is currently leading in the presidential elections results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for three Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Rivers state so far.
In the results announced Sunday for Ahoada West, Tai and Opobo Nkoror LGAs thus far, Tinubu is leading with 18568 votes for APC against second placed Peter Obi of Labour Party (LP) with 7212 votes and Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) Atiku Abubakar with 5630.
Tinubu won both Tai and Opobo/Nkoro LGAs as Obi took Ahoada West LGA in the results as announced.
Rivers State Collation Officer, Prof Charles Adias, closed the processed and postponed to Monday for announcement of more results when no other local government was forthcoming after results presented for Abua/Odual and Gokana were stood down with notice of discrepancies.
Meanwhile the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Rivers, Dr. John Alalibo Sinikiem has announced that the Presidential and NASS Elections would still be held in 7 Degema LGA RAs where elections didn't hold due to BVAS hitches and any other place as may be decided by INEC national.
Without a clear timeline, the REC also announced that results for Rivers would be announced as the local governments collation officers come into the State Collation Center.
Sinikiem briefed the media at the INEC State Collation Center just as stakeholders are apprehensive as not a single unit result has been uploaded for Rivers state in the presidential election.
The Rivers REC said, "The elections went on smoothly in all the LGAs. Though the presiding officers had a teething problems of uploading results from polling units to the INEC results viewing portals. This is as a result of poor network which is a national problem.
"In all the places that the elections did not hold yesterday due to one reason or the other, apart from violence that will not affect the outcome of the elections, I have received clearance from the headquarters to go ahead and organise elections within the shortest reasonable time.
"On arrival of results to collation centre, we shall kick-start to collate at the state level and collation shall be going on simultaneously at other constituencies collation center for the Sanatoral and House of Representatives elections.
"I urge citizenry of Rivers and our stakeholders to have patience and have hope in our process of electioneering because any vote cast in this election must count.
By the Electoral act if the BVAs malfunctions, we are expected to hold that elections under 24 hours. Section 47 (3)of the electoral Act 2023 gives us that leverage.
"We have a situation in Degema LGA about seven Registration Areas (RAs) we could not deplore and we are also covered with section 24 of the electoral Act sub-section 2. So, we are looking at how we could configure new BVAS to schedule possibly tomorrow to conclude that seven RA's in Degema council.
"We are in touch with the headquarters and we have a better clearance from them. Once the results are ready and if the issue comes we will look at it objectively and take a decision and if we can not take it here we have to refer it to our headquarter.
"Degema is a major case because they have 17 RA's and election took place in only 10 RA's. Of course, you know that if we do not conclude it is going to substantially affect the outcome of the election. That is paramount. But for others, if it will not substantially affect the outcome elections might not take place but if otherwise, as we are collating we will be checking side by side the margin of lead and all that."
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