SAN FRANCISCO, April 24, (THEWILL) – The Greater Together Campaign Organisation, Friday, alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Rivers State, Mrs. Gesila Khan, barred the State Party agents for the All Progressives Congress, APC, from accessing INEC premises to photocopy result sheets for the last elections in preparation for the party’s appearance at the Election Petition Tribunal.
“ Since our agents began to visit the INEC, they have been witnesses to gross misconduct and extensive electoral fraud going on in the INEC headquarters under the meticulous supervision of the REC, Gesila Khan, and the Head of Administration, Mr. Bocco,” GTCO, the campaign outfit of Dr. Dakuku Peterside, the APC governorship candidate in the state, alleged in a statement by its Director of Communication, Ibim Semenitari.
According to the statement, “At the INEC headquarters, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has been given unfettered access to thumb-print ballot papers so as to correspond with the figures they had allocated to their candidates and others.
“The thumb-printing and result writing is at present going on in three locations at the commission. The locations are: The strong room of INEC near the Administrative Secretary’s office; The store and inner store of the commission; Next door to the legal officer locked with people inside; and the 23 LGA offices of INEC in Rivers State,” adding “ Mr. Peter Ogunte, an INEC staff, is coordinating them.”
GTCO further alleged that as soon as the elections were ended, the APC state party agent had written to the REC requesting for the following essential documents: Voter Registers, Materials Distribution forms E25A, and Query Log for accredited voters, Result sheets for all the 23 LGAs.
The campaign outfit said under the electoral law, all results and other materials used for the elections are meant to be available and accessible to all parties as soon as the elections are over to enable those who need to appeal the results have 21 days within which to file any applications at the Elections tribunal.
“The APC has sent several reminders to the Rivers REC, Mrs. Khan. As at today, 12 days after the purported elections, we are yet to receive the result sheets for five local government areas, only for party agents to be denied entry.
“The question to ask Mrs. Khan and Mr. Bocco is what are they hiding and what other evil are they contriving?
“Since after the show of shame in Rivers State on March 28th and April 11th, the PDP and INEC in Rivers state have been re-writing the results, doctoring documents and thumb- printing ballot papers in its offices as well as hotels.
“The APC had raised this alarm repeatedly and wishes to reiterate its call on INEC Chairman Professor Attahiru Jega to direct Mrs. Khan to comply with the electoral law as well as the freedom of information act; Please move all sensitive material for the Rivers Elections away from Rivers State
We believe that Rivers people deserve to elect the government that would serve them, protect and defend their interest; Mrs. Khan and Mr. Bocco should not be allowed to wickedly thwart this most fundamental of all human rights as even God almighty allows us His creation our right to choose,” the statement added.
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