INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, has confirmed that the electoral officer for Ikwerre who was earlier declared missing during the Rivers rerun election has been found alive.Mr Osifo Osaze is reported to have been attacked by gunmen who opened fire on his vehicle but he managed to escape his assailants into the bush.
The REC told Channels Television that Mr Osaze was found with bullet wounds and has been taken to hospital for treatment.
In another incident, a Youth Corps ad hoc INEC official was killed during violence at a polling unit in Ahoada West Local Government area on Saturday.
Mr Ikoiwak said that further announcements on the polls will be made in due course.
INEC had suspended further activities in the Rivers State rerun elections following the violent incidents trailing the conduct of the polls.
In a statement late on Sunday, INEC’s Director in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, regretted that “some of these elections witnessed the disruption of the process, including the barricading of some of the INEC Local Government offices and Registration Area Centres (RACs) used for the distribution of Electoral materials which led to the late commencement of the exercise in some places and consequently, its smooth take off”.
He said that “the suspension does not affect constituencies where the exercise has been completed and the results declared by the returning officers”.
INEC had earlier suspended election in eight local government areas of the state.
Addressing reporters earlier on Sunday the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, said that the cancelation was due to irregularities at the affected local government areas.