CUPP demands removal of Bayelsa REC

The Coalition of United Political Parties, (CUPP) and Inter Party Advisory Council, (IPAC) in Bayelsa State on Wednesday demanded the redeployment of the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Monday Udoh

The parties alleged an “unholy alliance” between the REC and the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state.

Speaking in Yenagoa, the groups said they had lost confidence in the ability of the REC to conduct free and fair elections on Saturday following the outcome of the last presidential and National Assembly polls.

Chairman of CUPP,  Mr. Tari Edwin said the parties would no longer tolerate manipulation of future elections in the state.

He said: ‘We will not tolerate any manipulation this time around .There is an unholy alliance between the REC and a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress in the state to undermine the forthcoming state assembly elections.

“We are calling  on the National INEC to immediately redeploy the state REC due to his poor handling of the last presidential and National Assembly elections where elections materials were stolen under his supervision.

“We don’t see a reason why he should be conducting this Saturday elections. In the last elections you are all aware that materials were hijacked and carted away by thugs.

“A total of 63 card readers were stolen during the exercise in different parts of the state namely Brass 1, Nembe 23, Sagbama 8, Southern Ijaw 24, and Yenagoa 6 council.

Read Also: 63 card readers missing in Bayelsa, says INEC

“The law stipulates that card readers must be used during the elections but here where card readers were carted away and elections did not take place results were announced.

Also speaking, the state IPAC chairman, Mr.  Eneye Zidougha insisted that they had lost confidence in the state umpire.

“Another election is about to be conducted, we don’t have confidence in the REC anymore. There is connivance between security personnel and INEC officials’, he said.