By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
The chairman of the Cross River State chapter of Inter-Party Advisory Council, Comrade Anthony Bissong Attah, on Tuesday walked out of a meeting convened by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the state Police Commissioner, represented by the Deputy Commissioner, Operations, Mr. Frank Idu.
The Cross River State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Prof. Gabriel Yomere had convened a stakeholders meeting, at INEC conference Hall on Tuesday in Calabar, to find a way forward on claims by an online news publication, written by one Mr. Agba Jalingo, alledging that BVAS machines belonging to INEC were stored at Cross River State Government House.
The publication had kept tongues wagging and almost dragged the integrity of the electoral umpire to the mud.
This development prompted the INEC boss in Cross River State to call for an urgent meeting with all stakeholders, including the police, Department of State Security, DSS, Nigerian Police, heads of various political parties, and chairman of IPAC to clear the air on the allegation.
But during a heated argument which broke out in the middle of the brainstorming session, the IPAC chairman, Attah, banged the table and walked, a behavior that prompted many to assume that he was being sponsored by either of the major political parties to stage confusion in the meeting.
Before walking out from the meeting, the IPAC chairman stated that until he is given access to the bar code of BVAS machines, he won’t have confident in the operations of INEC.
Bissong, who also doubles as state party chairman of the Young Progressive Party, YPP, said, “Until we sight the bar code before we can give our confidence on the issue.”
The IPAC boss added, “This is not what we agreed on yesterday.
“The agreement we had in a meeting that we had yesterday with INEC is completely different from what I had seen here today.”
In his earlier remarks, the Cross River State REC, Prof. Yomere disagreed with Attah’s demand to sight the BVAS machines, stressing that INEC have not been authorized to let political parties have access to the BVAS machines nor the bar codes.
The REC stated that the BVAS machines were part of the sensitive materials of INEC that are not to be presented to political parties or members of the public.
He dispelled the rumour making the rounds that the BVAS were stored in the Government House and charged members of the public to disregard the fake news circulated a week ago on some online news platforms that the BVAS were kept at the Cross River State Government House.
The REC threatened to resign his appointment if it is established that any BVAS is missing, adding that there were 3,281 BVAS allocated to the state, which he said are still intact.
He said, “The information is a deliberate falsehood by mischief makers intended to mislead the public and unduly ignite anxiety.
“Cross Riverians and members of the general public are enjoined to ignore the information as the number of BVAS deployed from INEC headquarters to Cross River State office is intact and adequately secured.
“INEC Cross River State office cautions all citizens against circulating fake news capable of heating up the polity and undermining the neutrality and integrity of the commission.”
