The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the rescheduled rerun election for the Enugu South I state constituency was postponed due to security reasons.

INEC’s resident electoral commissioner in Enugu, Chukwuemeka Chukwu, said in Enugu on Sunday that the postponed election was cancelled earlier last week due to security considerations.

Mr Chukwu disclosed that the rerun election, which was fixed after stakeholders’ engagements to be held on June 8, would be held on a further date to be communicated by the commission.

“Last week, the scheduled rerun election was postponed and duly communicated to all stakeholders with a clear reason for the postponement.

“But I am surprised some misguided people are taking up all sorts of unfounded falsehood and rumours against the commission that it seems the election had been held in secret even as I am speaking to you,” he said.

Bright Ngene, the Labour Party candidate for the House of Assembly, was declared the winner of the March 18, 2023 election and sworn in, but the tribunal nullified the election because it was inconclusive.

This is the third attempt by the INEC to hold the election.

Voters converged in the affected polling units as early as 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, but no INEC official was seen at the venue.

Mr Ngene, who was at the polling centre, expressed dismay over the development.

He told journalists that he and his party had no information that the election would not be held.

On his part, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Sam Ngene, however, said the postponement was duly communicated to his party.

(NAN)