PDP accuses INEC of withholding election material in its strongholds

ayodele johnson

February 22, 2019 11:48 PM

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), of holding on to sensitive election materials such as collation forms and result sheets in the regions where the party has a lot of support.

The People's Democratic Party (PDP), is concerned about the absence of important resources needed for federal parliamentary elections to hold in some of the states where it has established dominance.

In a statement released on Friday, February 22, 2019, the PDP identifies Abia and Delta states as some of the places lacking the resources needed for parliamentary elections. Kano is also affected according spokesperson Kola Ologbondiyan.

The PDP believes some INEC officials are working with main rival the All Progressives Congress (APC) in order to favour the latter in the outcome of the polls. As a result, it has urged the chairman of the electoral body, Professor Mahmood Yakubu to make a correction.

"Intelligence at our disposal shows that certain compromised INEC officials are working with agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hold back the material so as to pave way for the allocation of fictitious results for President Muhammadu Buhari and APC National Assembly candidates in the affected states.

For instance, in Abia state, no collation forms and result sheets have been received for the Senatorial elections, while no result sheets for all the elections have been received in Delta and various other states.

Also in Kano state only 105 Senate result sheets have been received in Garko Local Government Area instead of 144 . Rogo LGA has received 106 Senate result sheets instead of 141; Danbatta has received 28 cartons of House of Representatives ballot papers instead of 29, while Tofa LGA has received 18 cartons instead of 19. This scenario is playing out in many other states.

The PDP charges the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to immediately release the materials to their respective designated points and cautions that it will never allow anybody to use any means to rig it out in this election.

Prof. Yakubu must note that this serious infraction is already heightening tension and would eventually lead to serious crisis in affected states ahead of the election, if nothing was done to stem the trend.

The PDP recalls that it had earlier alerted that the INEC Chairman is again succumbing to back-channel intimidation by the APC and the Buhari Presidency to accede to their rigging plot, which includes hoarding and in some cases, delay in the distribution of sensitive materials meant for PDP stronghold as well as using APC agents as electoral officers.

The PDP cautions the INEC Chairman not to allow the APC to use him to derail the electoral process, particularly after the disgraceful postponement of the February 16 elections.

Nigerians are alert. They are noting the trend and will spare no thoughts in standing against any attempt by INEC and the APC to rig this election," a statement signed by Kola Ologbondiyan reads.

After making eager voters to wait a week further because of the postponement of the presidential and federal parliamentary elections from February 16 to 23, INEC has tried everything possible to avoid another disappointment by being very transparent.

Daily press briefings organized by the electoral body days to the elections have ensured that the country and international observers are informed about its progress.

ayodele johnson