Commission cautions parties against crisis
Supporters of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, continued its protest at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The protesters, who arrived at the Commission’s office about 7.30 a.m., came with a ‘Juju Priest’ and were seen making incantations at the entrance of the office, where they also erected canopies.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and its supporters boycotted the protest following the clash with the PDP on Monday, saying they have decided to adopt peaceful process to get their mandate
The APC spokesman in the state, Darlington Nwauju, said: “PDP did not even know our mission of going to INEC office on Monday, the documents they mentioned is not actually the one we requested for, they are acting on ignorance and we don’t want to join them.”
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He accused the PDP of trying to use the protest to cause crisis, heat up the polity and distort APC’s peaceful moves to get justice.
Reacting to the development, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Johnson Alalibo Sinikiem, said the commission had observed unfolding events in the past few days concerning the issuance of Certified True Copies of election materials and access for inspection of election materials used during the just concluded 2023 General Elections in Rivers State.
The INEC commissioner, in a statement, said although the application of Certified True Copies of documents and access for inspection of election materials are the legitimate entitlement of candidates and parties to election petitions, the documents are, however, governed by processes and procedures, which include payment of requisite fees, making copies of relevant documents and certification by authorised officials of the Commission.
He said the management of INEC in the state assures all applicants and the general public that the Commission is committed to discharging its constitutional and lawful duties without preferences or bias and appealed for the cooperation and understanding of all parties and the general public to enable the commission serve better.
Meanwhile, the PDP Campaign Council in the state has said no amount of false moves can change the fact that PDP won the governorship elections in Rivers State.
A statement by its Director of Publicity, Ogbonna Nwuke, warned APC against taking steps, which could lead to breakdown of law and order in Rivers State.
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