Cyril Omorogbe, the INEC resident Electoral commissioner in Akwa Ibom, says the commission has delisted 100 ad hoc staff in the state over alleged involvement in election malpractices.
Omorogbe made the disclosure in an interview with journalists in Uyo on Thursday, March 16, 2023.
He said the affected ad hoc staff were found culpable of electoral malpractices during the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.
”We blacklisted them, we will not use them during the Governorship and House of Assembly elections on Saturday,” he said.
The resident electoral commissioner said the commission had started distributing sensitive materials to Local Government Areas of the state ahead of the Saturday elections.
Omorogbe said that all arrangements had been made to ensure the early arrival of materials and personnel for the polls.
”We have made adequate preparations to ensure that materials and personnel do not arrive late at polling units.
”We are aware of the complaints raised during the presidential and national assembly elections, we do not want that to repeat itself,” he said.
He said the commission had made arrangements for backup vehicles in the event of a sudden breakdown of any utility vehicle.
”This arrangement is to ensure that materials and personnel are conveyed to polling units without delay.
”I can assure you that the challenges we faced during the last elections won’t be repeated,” he said.
He said the commission was collaborating with security agencies to ensure improved security during the exercise.
Again, PDP Calls For The Resignation And Arrest Of INEC Chairman Yakubu
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called for the resignation, arrest, and investigation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu over alleged manipulation of the February 25 presidential election result.
In a keen contest, PDP presidential candidate and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar lost to Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. While Atiku polled 6,984,520 votes to come second in the race, Tinubu came out top in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states and secured significant numbers in several other states to claim the highest number of votes — 8,794,726.
Mr Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, who, in less than a year, galvanised young voters in a manner some have described as unprecedented finished the race with 6,101,533.
Both Atiku and Obi have rejected the outcome of the election, vowing to challenge the result in court.
Speaking during a press conference on Friday, March 10, 2023, in Abuja, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba, alleged that the election results were mutilated, as the commission deliberately refused to transmit polling units results as provided by the Electoral Act.
He maintained that the INEC chairman’s exit would be the first step to rebuilding confidence in the electoral body.
Ologunagba also asked the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, INEC, to commence an investigation of the INEC Chairman.
INEC Disobeys Court Order As Labour Party Is Denied Access To Inspect Election Materials
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been accused of disobeying a court order by the Labour Party (LP), who claim they have been denied access to inspect the materials used in the recently concluded elections.
The national chairman of the Labour Party, Mr Julius Abure, made the allegations on Channels TV monitored by The Trent on Friday, March 10, 2023, in Abuja.
According to Abure, the party had obtained a court order from the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on earlier in the week, granting them the right to inspect the election materials used in the elections held on February 23, 2023.
However, despite the court order, Abure, a barrister-at-law, alleged that INEC had refused to grant the party access to the materials, citing logistical challenges and a lack of manpower.
“We are deeply disappointed that INEC has chosen to disobey a court order and deny us access to inspect the materials used in the elections. This is a clear violation of our rights as a political party and undermines the integrity of the electoral process,” Asuquo said.
Asuquo also called on INEC to comply with the court order and grant the party access to the materials, warning that the party would explore all legal options available to them if the commission continued to flout the court order.
“We demand that INEC complies with the court order and allows us to inspect the materials as soon as possible. If they continue to deny us this right, we will be left with no choice but to take legal action to protect our rights and ensure that the electoral process is transparent and fair,” he added.
The LP Chairman also called on civil society organizations and other political parties to join the party in condemning INEC’s actions and defending the integrity of the electoral process.
Efforts to reach INEC officials for comment on the matter were unsuccessful at the time of this report.
