Tonye Alalibo

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Friday that it did not disqualify, Mr Tonye Alalibo, PDP candidate for Akuku-Toru Constituency 11, from participating in re-run election in Rivers.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, said  in Port Harcourt that it was the  judgment of  the election tribunal and Court of Appeal that excluded the party and its candidate from participating in the election.

All Progressives Congress candidate, Mr Fredrick Anabraba, won the election for the constituency with 2,970 votes.

Ikoiwak explained that two days to the re-run, the commission wrote to the state chapter of PDP informing it that the party and its candidate had been excluded in the election.

“The decision was taken by the commission in compliance with the judgment of the tribunal and that of the Court of Appeal,” he said.

The commissioner said insinuations that the commission deliberately disqualified the candidate was false and baseless.

He said the courts took the decision and INEC complied.

Ikoiwak said the commission would fix a date for repeat election in the eight local government areas where the exercise was cancelled due to irregularities.