The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Rivers State has temporarily halted the collation of presidential election results. This decision was made due to concerns over the safety of the state collation officer, Professor Charles Adias. Professor Adias, who is also the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Otuoke in Bayelsa State, made the announcement at the Collation Centre in Port Harcourt earlier today. He stated that he was receiving threats to his life from unidentified supporters of political parties.
The Commissioner of Police of the Presidential Election in Rivers State, Aderemi Adeoye, attempted to persuade Professor Adias to disclose the identities of those threatening him. However, Professor Adias refused and demanded that the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Johnson Alalibo Sinikiem, address some of the concerns raised by his alleged assailants, including issues related to the faulty Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
For now, the collation process remains suspended until Professor Adias can be guaranteed the necessary security and assurances to carry out his duties without fear of harm.
