THERE are strong indications that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may cancel elections in seven states due to alleged monumental fraud in last Saturday�s polls.
Nigerian Tribune findings showed that the commission had confirmed records of malpractices and irregularities in the affected states during the marathon meeting of the commission held on Monday.
This development is sequel to the report of the Commonwealth observer mission which reported that elections were heavily manipulated and rigged in seven states of the federation.
The observer mission did not, however, list the affected states just as the Nigerian Tribune findings discovered that the commission was yet to decide on which of the states� results to cancel.
It is also not clear whether the planned cancellation was linked with the judgment of the Supreme Court which held that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had no power to disqualify candidates.
The commission had earlier disqualified seven governorship candidates in about six or seven states, raising questions about the validity of the governorship elections held in those states.
The electoral body was, however, silent on the affected states, though its Information Commissioner, Phillip Umeadi, alluded to the commission�s marathon meetings where crucial decisions were taken.
Umeadi had in previous media briefings said the commission had only cancelled governorship elections in Imo State whereas unconfirmed reports said the cancellation also affected Enugu.
Meanwhile, the national chairmen of political parties in the opposition on Tuesday rejected the results of last Saturday�s governorship and houses of assembly elections.
The party chairmen, who met under the aegis of Forum of National Chairmen of Nigerian Political Parties, in a five-point communique issue after their meeting also called for disbandment of INEC over what they called the biased conduct by INEC before, during and after the Saturday polls.
The meeting of the aggrieved national chairmen of political parties was held at the national secretariat of the Citizens Popular Party (CPP), Area 10, Garki, Abuja.
Also, the AC has rejected the results of Saturday�s governorship and state assembly elections held across the country.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the party�s national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said that it had lost confidence in INEC.
Mohammed stressed that the results did not reflect the actual voting.
He also berated the actions of the police and the soldiers on election duties last Saturday.
Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) also on Tuesday thumbed down the elections, just as it urged Nigerians to still vote in the presidential election slated for this weekend.
The group stated that last weekend�s polls were fraught with widespread rigging, manipulations and orchestrated violence.
The NBA�s position was made known at a press conference in Abuja addressed by its Election Working Group.
It also revealed at the press conference that INEC rejected NBA�s offer to provide volunteers to assist in the conduct of the elections.
The chairman of the group, Mr. Akuro George, traced the problems associated with last Saturday�s polls to the inadequacy of the Direct Data Capture Machines employed by INEC for the voter registration.
He noted that the registration mode made it difficult for eligible voters to find their names on time before the electoral officials resorted to manual register.