#CRSDecides: February 3rd 2023 re-run elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC had on December 22, 2023 announced February 3, 2024, as the date for 44 bye and re-run elections in the country. The figure included nine bye-elections resulting from the resignation or death of elected lawmakers resulting in vacancies declared by the presiding officers of the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assemblies.

Also, re-run elections were announced for 35 constituencies resulting from the verdicts of the elections petition tribunals which ended at the Court of Appeal. In Cross River, one federal constituency and two State constituencies were affected.

The court ordered re-runs to be held across four Local Government Areas, 18 wards and 34 polling units with a potential 19,681 voters count.

Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency

Elections will be conducted in both local governments that make up the constituency with 12 wards or registration areas affected, and 19 polling units affected. There are 11,764 registered voters of which 11,650 have collected their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs.

The PVC collection according to INEC, stood at 99.03 percent.

In Biase, elections will be conducted in seven wards and 11 polling units while in Akamkpa, the re-run elections will be conducted in five wards and eight polling units.

Obanliku State Constituency
In Obanliku, the candidates will rustle votes from 1,036 potential voters who have collected PVCs out of the 1,047 registered voters in two polling units – Bayaga Playground and Babuenkayang Playground at Bisu ward.
The PVC collection rate in the area is slightly lower hiting 98.94 percent.

Yala 2 State Constituency
For Yala 2 State Constituency, re-run elections will be conducted in 13 polling units in five wards of which 6995 out of 6999 registered voters have collected their PVCs representing an impressive score of 99.94 percent.

BVAS Will Be Used – INEC Cross River
Meanwhile, the Head, Voter Education, and Publicity in the Cross River State, Mrs. Anthonia Nwobi in a statement issued last week stressed that only “voters with Permanent Voters Card and are registered in the affected polling units are qualified to vote in this election.”

She announced that BVAs will be deployed for accreditation and voting while elections will commence at 8:30 am and will end by 2:30 pm. “However, those on the queue on or before 2:30 pm will be attended to.”

Also, the campaigns which began on January 5th, “must end on February 1st, 2024, according to the law,” the statement said.

By: Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. Reporter)