INEC colluding with APC to rig poll, Bayelsa PDP alleges

By Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

The Peoples Democratic Party Campaign Organisation in Bayelsa State has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of colluding with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig the November 16 governorship election in the state.

The organisation called on the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to call the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Monday Udoh, to order to prevent giving the electoral body a bad name.

The campaign organisation alleged that it discovered that the commission in the state published a list of Supervisory Presiding Officers allegedly handed over to it by (APC) in a desperate bid to rig the governorship election slated for November 16.

The Director, Media and Publicity of the Senator Douye Diri Campaign Organisation, Dr. Jonathan Obuebite, in a statement alleged that the APC contracted the Deputy Vice Chacellor òf the Federal University, Otuoke, to supply the APC members SPOs to subvert the election

Obuebite called on the INEC national chairman to prevail on the REC to withdraw the list without delay in the interest of peace and engage the services of neutral and credible SPOs from institutions outside the state.

He said that the electoral body had a responsibility to assure the Bayelsa people by its actions that it was prepared to conduct free, fair and credible election.

Read Also: Dickson hails Bayelsans for supporting PDP

“Bayelsans and Nigerians have seen that with what has just happened, the APC is not ready for a free, fair and credible election, but I am not surprised because they have a penchant for illicit behaviour during electioneering period.

“I therefore call on the INEC chairman to caution the Bayelsa State REC as it is glaring that his relationship with the APC to work against the PDP will further tarnish the reputation of INEC.

“I also call on the International Community and all security agencies to be aware of what the REC in Bayelsa State is doing to jeopardise the forthcoming governorship elections in the State”.

Obuebite added that the PDP was demanding the immediate removal of the State REC who according to him had lost the credibility having shown an unacceptable level of bias to carry out a free, fair and credible election in the state.

He stressed that the INEC REC portrayed himself as a man lacking in integrity and underserving of the sensitive responsibility put on his shoulders.

He appealed to INEC to deploy RECs and commissioners of proven integrity with a reputation for impartiality and competence for the election rather than the APC RECs doing the dirty jobs of smearing the image of the commission.

He said that INEC should be guided strongly by a consciousness of its reputation to halt the evil plot to send compromised RECs to taint the electoral process in Bayelsa.
END.