Rivers LG poll: Electoral body bows to pressure, admits more political parties

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi with agency report

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RISEC) has bowed to pressure by chairmen of over 70 political parties in the state by accepting a date and venue for the submission party primary forms.
Officials of the electoral umpire had earlier declined to receive the forms from the political parties, insisting that their names were not among the registered parties handed over to it by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This comes after reports had it that only 18 political parties in the list of political parties recognized by INEC are to be recognized by RSIEC to participate in the forthcoming local government council elections coming up in April.
However, RSIEC later bowed to pressure after a series of protests and threats by the Chairmen of over seventy political parties.
Speaking to newsmen after submitting their forms, factional chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Committee Chairman, IPAC, Chima Nsirim, who is also the State Chairman of Democratic Peoples Party, wondered why RSIEC was adamant on shutting them out of the election.
Some political parties also called on the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission to extend time for the local government elections to allow for the exhaustion of all litigations and other issues among political parties to be resolved.
The Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Fortune Onuigwe, who made the position of some political parties known, said the call became necessary following the controversy that rocked the submission of letters and forms by some Political parties.
“We are appealing to RSIEC to see how they can adjust their timetable because we know that our party is not yet de-registered as far as INEC is concerned,” he said.