THE Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC, yesterday, said that materials allegedly found in a hotel in
Awka on Monday
did not belong to it, insisting that no sensitive election
materials meant for the November 18 governorship election were missing. Prof.
Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) National chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor
Oye, had alleged that two truckloads of election materials were intercepted by
security operatives and that two persons were arrested in connection with the
incident.
But the state Resident Electoral
Commissioner, REC, Dr. Nwachukwu Orji in a statement in Awka said it was not
possible for sensitive materials meant for the election to be delivered in a
hotel, adding that there were laid down processes of delivery of such sensitive
election materials.
Such processes, according to him,
involve strict monitoring of the process by party agents, election observers,
security agencies and the media. Orji said it was customary for the Commission
to provide the register to political parties presenting candidates for an
election not later than 30 days before an election, adding that in the case of
the Anambra governorship poll, this was done in a widely publicised event in
Awka on 18 October 2017 during which all the parties present collected the
electronic register.
He, however, explained that the
register given to political parties by INEC did not have the same details as
the one to be used for the governorship election, adding that several fields
and security features were not included in the register given to political
parties. He said: “The Commission has had the opportunity to compare the
register recovered by the Police and the one meant for the 18th November
Anambra State governorship election.
It is clear on examination that what
the Police recovered appears to have been printed from the electronic register
given to the political parties, and not the official register of voters for the
governorship election. “INEC wishes to reassure the public that it will continue
to be transparent in its processes. The Commission, therefore, appeals to all
stakeholders to confirm their information before going to the press in order
not to undermine the peace that has so far prevailed in Anambra State ahead of
the governorship election. “The Commission also wishes to restate its
determination and commitment to ensure that the 18th November Anambra State
governorship election is free, fair and credible, and solicits the cooperation
of the people of the state in this regard.”
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