The Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has
strongly warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against compromising its integrity and neutrality in the execution of its assignment, especially in the deployment of ad-hoc staffers in the state, during the general elections.
The warning was contained in a statement in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Monday by the Kwara APC Chairman, Hon. Bashir Bolarinwa.
The Chairman said the party has received information that those being
posted across Kwara as Electoral Officers (EOs) and Technical Staff
were nominated and trained by the PDP.
He also cited the case of an EO who was caught hiding boxes of ballot
papers in an office in Kwara North by a vigilant DSS officer, saying
that when the EO was forced to open the office by the DSS official, he
admitted to hiding the boxes, but claimed it was a mistake.
”We have also been inundated with the information that the technical
staff in particular, most of whom are trained ICT experts, are known
PDP members and are under strict instructions to manipulate the card
readers in favour of the PDP.
”It is totally unacceptable that INEC, which is the umpire, will work
in cahoots with any political party or even accept a list of ad-hoc
staff from the parties. We are therefore calling on the security
agencies to put all INEC staffers under strict surveillance to
forestall any attempt to compromise them. On our part, we will also
ensure that the process is not compromised by tainted staffers.
”As we have always said, we want a level-playing field for all the
political parties contesting the elections in the state. It is only
then that the people can most freely exercise their franchise, and the
party which has the support of the people will emerge victorious,”
Hon. Bolarinwa said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman has called on INEC to make available to all
the parties the record of the sensitive materials they will be
deploying to all local governments and wards across the state, ahead
of Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.
He said this is necessary in order for the parties to know what is
deployed where, and to forestall the attempt by desperate politicians
who, despite being widely rejected by the people, are bent on rigging
the elections.
