…Allegation Based On Falsehood -REC
By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
The Cross River State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called on the Independent Natıonal Electoral Commission, INEC to ensure the protection of the result sheets and other sensitive materials used by to announce the results of the March 18 governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.
Alleging rigging of the gubernatorial and House of Assembly polls in the state, the PDP, speaking through its Publicity Secretary, Mr Mike Ojisi, made the call while reacting to the rumours making the rounds in the state that the electoral umpire, INEC compromised the electoral process in favour of ruling All Progressives’ Congress, APC, in the state.
In a chat with newsmen in Calabar yesterday, the PDP spokesperson alleged that the ruling APC has hatched a plan to lieu officials of the INEC to tamper with the BVAs machines and other sensitive electoral materials like result sheets allegedly used by the APC to manipulate the process in it’s favour.
Ojisi stated that fear has griped the APC in the state just as it heard that the candidate of the PDP is heading to court to seek redress.
He said, “Reliable sources from Government House Calabar revealed to him that certain government officials, in alliance with the Resident Electoral Commission, REC, top collation officers had held nocturnal meeting at the Government House, Calabar, to strategize on how to reconcile the irregularities trailing the last governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.”
Ojisi stressed that he had been reliably informed by sources that government officials on Saturday held a meeting with INEC to fashion out modalities on how they can cross-check if result that was declared by INEC in the March 18 elections could stand the test of time when challenged in court.
He added, “With the BVAS, they would be able to thumbprint additional ballots papers to balance the votes and the number of persons that were accredited in each of the polling units across the state.
“We call on stakeholders and relevant agencies to demand for the original results sheets used in announcing the results from REC before they temper with it.”
But reacting to the allegation, the INEC REC in Cross River State, Prof Gabriel Yomere, denied all the allegations, which he said were based on falsehood.
Yomere said, “There is no truth in the allegations that I am meeting with the governor and his team in order to reconcile and manipulate the electoral materials used for the guber election.
“The last time I met with the governor was shortly before the Christmas and I went with my team, that was shortly before I travelled for the Yuletide.
“Even if I succeed in manipulating the BVAS, what about the backend at the INEC portal. You can’t manipulate that.
“The only people allowed to check the BVAS are the lawyers to the political parties and they do that in the presence of INEC staff.”
