Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP) and Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Edo State, Jarret Tenebe on Thursday exchanged words over a viral picture of the latter wearing a vest of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Tenebe was in the online-photo portrayed  as an Election Observer in last Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election.

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Reacting to the viral photo in a statement, National Chairman of the CRPP, Samson Isibor, stated that the presence of Tenebe in Ekiti as an Election Observer represented a dangerous assault on the integrity, neutrality, and credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.

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According to Isibor, the action of Tenebe raised serious questions about the independence of INEC as well as further validated growing public concerns that the electoral umpire has become compromised and increasingly partisan.

 

H said it was unacceptable that INEC could permit such a glaring conflict of interest and gross violation of the principles of electoral neutrality.

 

He added that such an act sent a wrong signal to Nigerians and created the unfortunate impression that there was no longer a clear distinction between the ruling party and the institution constitutionally empowered to conduct free, fair, and credible elections.

 

He added: “For an individual who occupies a strategic leadership position in the ruling APC to be adorned in official INEC identification during an election is a disgraceful development that undermines public confidence in the democratic process.

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‎”The Ekiti incident has further reinforced the widespread belief that the APC has effectively captured key democratic institutions, including INEC, thereby compromising the transparency and credibility of elections in Nigeria.

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‎”The CRPP further demands a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the participation of Emperor Jarrett Tenebe in the Ekiti governorship election and insists that those responsible for this embarrassment to Nigeria’s democracy be held accountable.

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‎”The integrity of elections remains the cornerstone of democratic governance. Any action capable of diminishing public trust in the electoral process must be resisted by all democratic forces.”

 

But in a shift reaction, Tenebe, during a telephone interview, did not deny the allegation but explained that the viral picture was taken within the premises of the hotel where he lodged.

 

Tenebe, while further explaining that he never left his hotel room to go to any polling unit, urged the CRPP and other critics to put their house in order ahead of future elections in the country.

 

“Do they know whether I was modelling for INEC? Can’t I model for INEC. I did not move from one hotel room to another.

 

“I also have the right to be a member of an NGO and INEC can as well accredited the NGO as an election observer.

 

“Moreover, I was not deployed to the field. I was in my hotel. All APC Chairmen agreed to be present in a stand alone election to show support. I was not the only APC Chairman present but I was not in the field.”