Rivers Polls: PDP Interferes And Frustrates Tribunal Processes — Lai Mohammed

 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday gave reasons for its petition to the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase and other heads of security outfits to ensure access to key documents used for the last governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers State.

 

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of lying by alleging interference by the security agencies with cases before election petition tribunals.

 

Calling the allegation a futile attempt by the PDP to pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians, APC alleged that not only did the PDP lied in making the allegation, it is also trying to muddle the waters on the true situation concerning the case before the Rivers State Election Petition Tribunal.

 

The APC explained that in truth, the invitation of some officials from the Rivers State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was prompted by a petition to the IG and the DG, DSS, by the APC that the officials were colluding with the PDP to deny the APC access to key documents used for the last governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

 

Also contained in the petition, APC said, is the allegation that some directors at the INEC head office in Abuja have been working strenuously to deny the APC access to some documents used for the said elections but domiciled at the Commission’s head office, even when the INEC chairman has promptly attended to the issue and directed the said officials to furnish the needed documents.

 

The party claimed that as a matter of fact, the IG had directed, upon receipt of the APC petition, that the matter be investigated and that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Rivers State should be invited.

 

Those who were named in the APC petition to the security agencies include the Rivers REC, Mrs. Gesila Khan; the Administrative Secretary, Obijuru C. Royson; Head of Operations Department, Bocco Ekong; and Legal Officer, Fumi Nancy Odihir Gaffar who, along with other INEC officials in Rivers, are allegedly colluding with the PDP to frustrate all attempts by the APC to access the vital documents.

 

‘’Therefore, the PDP’s wolf crying over a conspiracy it orchestrated with the Rivers INEC to deny the APC access to documents used for the said elections amounts to barefaced lies and a clear attempt at distorting facts.

 

‘’These persistent refusal to release the documents is happening despite a valid order from the Tribunal and in a clear violation of Section 77 (1) and (2) and other provisions of the Electoral Act.

 

Credit: ngrguardiannews.com