PDP urges INEC to publish names of indicted staff

LAGOS State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must make public the identity of its staff admitted to have compromised the credible distribution of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) in the state, especially to non-indigenes.

   This demand is coming against the backdrop of the allegations against the commission that it is denying non-indigenes in the state the collection of PVCs in certain areas.

   Spokesman of the party, Taofik Gani made the demand Wednesday as he requested the commission to publish the number of polling units affected by the compromise.

   According to Gani, “It is not just sufficient for INEC to admit that two of her staff denied non-indigenes their PVCs in Lagos State. The electoral body must show the gut to prosecute the said staff, which includes interrogating them to disclose their sponsors. The party thus gives the electoral body 48 hours within which to make public the identity of the two staff, the polling units affected and the evidence of their prosecution.”

   It would be recalled that INEC had at a press briefing on Tuesday pledged not to deprive any group their PVCs. It however admitted that two of its staff have been detected and sacked for denying non-indigenes their PVCs.

   In a statement signed by the Lagos INEC Head of Public Affairs, Femi Akinbiyi, the commission said, “Our findings however revealed that in a few places where we did not have the full complement of NYSC members, some members of the community whom we engage for the exercise, two of them were found to have denied a few non-indigenes the collection of their cards. We have consequently relieved them of this assignment.”

   The PDP however insisted that: “It is our strong position that the INEC staff are more than the two yet unveiled. They are spread all over the states especially in areas populated by non-indigenes and the other interests whom the All Progressives Congress (APC) believe will vote against their party.”

   The party posited that it would continue to hold INEC accountable due to the commission’s failure to screen some of its ad-hoc staff.

   “These are the people now distributing PVC’s! In some areas they even give the distribution to the APC officers at the local council. 

  We have the case of the Youth leader of the APC in Oshodi-Isolo, caught with over 200 PVCs, which he admitted was given to him for distribution by the INEC staff. The matter is still pending. No action has been taken by INEC.”