Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Attahiru Jega, has said that there was no substantial evidence to support the call for the outright cancellation of the November 16 gubernatorial election.

Jega, who announced this on Friday at a news conference in Abuja, said that the call by the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the cancellation of the election, which is premised on the party’s petition to the commission, was not tenable and would not make the commission to cancel the election.

“We regret that there is no other decision that could be taken by the Commission other than to conduct a supplementary election in areas where elections were cancelled,” the INEC chairman stated.

He, however, said that the allegation of disenfranchisement of voters by the APC would be investigated, adding that the commission would ensure that all matters arising from the poll will be looked into.

“There is no substantial evidence to support the cancellation of the election as substantial majority of the allegations that have been made cannot be substantiated,” he said.

According to him, supplementary election will hold on November 30.

Jega also expressed regret over the commission’s shortcomings in the Anambra election, but added that the commission did its best.

“We regret shattering the expectations of Nigerians, but we did our best under very difficult circumstances to have free, fair and credible election,” he said.

He further said that a majority of those alleged to have been disenfranchised during the election must have been people who might have done multiple registrations, or those who did not have their names in the electronic register.

“The electoral act is very clear and our guidelines are very clear that, if on presentation of your voters’ card your name is not on the register you will not be allowed to vote,” he maintained.

Jega stated that the commission had handed over the electoral officer who compromised the election in Idemili North to the police, adding that he is currently being investigated and would soon be charged to court

He said too that about 183 election offenders were arrested for various miscellaneous electoral offences during the election and would also be made to face the law.