From Tony John, Port Harcourt

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said no date has been scheduled for suspended rerun elections in some local government areas of Rivers State.

INEC’s Resident Electoral Commission (REC) in the state, Mr. Aniedi Ikoiwak, disclosed this yesterday in Port Harcourt at an interactive forum with politicians and a group of mediators from the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Ikoiwak said the commission has been organising one programme or the other, to prepare stakeholders for the elections.

The REC urged politicians to see election as a civic duty and not a war.

Ikoiwak appealed to them to allow voters to exercise their civic duties by voting for candidates of their choice.

He explained that election would not be adjudged free and fair in a situation where INEC officials were forced to announce results at gunpoint and added that politicians must allow peace to reign during election periods.

“We must know that the date of the election has not been fixed and all what we are doing is to see whether we are ready to hold the elections.

“Political parties, the electoral body and security agents should join hands so that we can achieve the goal of completing the election in this state.

“Most of the time, when people talk about free and fair election, most people think of INEC.

“As Nigerians, we have agreed that there were lapses in the last election and we must be ready to agree to correct our mistakes and not to continue to feel as if we are angels,” the state REC said.