The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has insisted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released to it the updated voter register.
RSIEC explained that INEC released the voter register for use to conduct the 5th October Local Government polls in Rivers.
This was made known on Wednesday by Mr Tobin Tamunotonye, the RSIEC Commissioner for Public Affairs and Civic Education.
He said the voters register was released to RSIEC following the procedural correspondences that took place between it and INEC.
Mr Tamunotonye stated that without such correspondence it would. Have been difficult to secure the eventual approval and release.
He pointed to the fact that RSIEC is also in possession of the copy of the court order of the 6th September 2024.
That court order, he stated, mandated the commission to conduct the Local Government election with the voter register that was released to it by INEC.
Mr Tamunotonye clarified that the voters register from INEC was actually approved, released and physically handed over to RSIEC within the period of the correspondence between July and October 2023.
He said RSIEC already had in its possession the voter register before the litany of litigations.
“Well, that is not true and INEC cannot in good conscience say that because the correspondences between the two bodies are here. We have the documents here.
“They (INEC) have given us all that we needed for the election and we are proceeding with the election.
“The 2023 updated register of voters for Rivers State is right now in our possession and we got it from INEC. This thing happened last year between July and October.”
This response is a rebuttal of the denial made by INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Rivers State, Dr Johnson Sinikiem.
Dr.Sinikiem had told the media that INEC has not officially released voter register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission((RSIEC) even if he accepted that RSIEC commenced and sustained correspondence with it.
