Rivers APC, INEC Bicker Over Access To Election Materials

The All Progressives Congress and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Rivers State, have bickered over access to electoral materials used for the April 11 elections.

APC governorship candidate , Dakuku Peterside, Greater Together Campaign Organisation, alleged that the REC, Mrs. Gesila Khan prevented the party’s agent from accessing INEC premises to photocopy result sheets for the last elections in preparation for the party’s appearance at the Election Petition Tribunal.

Peterside’s director of communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said since APC agents began to visit the INEC they have been witnesses to gross misconduct and extensive electoral fraud going on in the INEC headquarters under the meticulous supervision of some officials of the commission.

According to her, at the INEC headquarters, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has been given unfettered access to thumb-print ballot papers so as to correspond with the figures they had allocated to their candidates and others.

“As soon as the elections were ended, the APC state party agent had written to the REC requesting for the following essential documents:  Voter Registers, Materials Distribution forms E25A, Query Log for accredited voters and Result sheets for all the 23 LGA’s.

Under the electoral law, all results and other materials used for the elections are meant to be available and accessible to all parties as soon as the elections are over to enable those who need to go persons have 21 days within which to file any applications at the Elections tribunal” she said.