By Rotimi Ojomoyela ADO-EKITI—THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ekiti State, yesterday, expressed concern over the alleged late withdrawal of electoral materials for House of Representatives dispatched on Friday, February 15, 2019, following the abrupt postponement of the general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The party questioned the late arrival of materials meant for the conduct of Presidential and Senatorial elections, pointing out that the materials did not get to the state until the wee hours of Saturday. Addressing journalists in Afao Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun local government area of Ekiti State, PDP Chairman, Gboyega Oguntuase, said: “Curiously, materials for House of Representatives election were not complete. No result sheets for Ward (Form EC8B) and Local Government (EC8C) as well as result sheets for final collation (Form EC8D) and announcement of final results (Form EC8E). “Also, there was excess Polling Units Result Sheets (EC8A). The excess was more than two times the number of polling units in Ekiti State. “This is to say that each of the Polling Units in Ekiti State had more than one result sheet. This is clear manifestation of INEC intention to rig the election by using the excess result sheets to enter fake results for the APC. INEC totally to blame for election postponement – Group “As at the wee hours of Saturday; only electoral materials for the conduct of House of Representatives (partial), Presidential and South Senatorial elections were brought to Ekiti, leaving those for Central and North Senatorial Districts. The materials brought had excess Form EC8A. “Immediately after the postponement, instruction was given to INEC offices at the local councils to withdraw all the materials already distributed and deposit same with the CBN except the Card Readers, which were said needed to be reconfigured. “Why did it take INEC officials in some of the local governments up till 7pm to return the electoral materials to the CBN office in Ado Ekiti when directive to return the materials was issued as early as 8am on Saturday? “Consequently, we are demanding that we be allowed by INEC and CBN to double-check all the electoral materials, more particularly the sensitive materials. Refuting the allegations that APC members were behind the attacks on PDP supporters, the Director General, Buhari/Osinbajo campaign council in Ekiti, Dr Olusegun Osinkolu, said the party had no reason to resort to anti-democratic means to win elections. He said: “APC is on ground in Ekiti. We did not attack anyone when we won governorship election here as an opposition, Why should we now resort to such acts when we are the ruling party in the state and at the federal level? “PDP is just looking for who to blame for its impending woes. They should look inward and settle their differences, rather than pointing accusing fingers at a wrong direction.” We’ve withdrawn sensitive materials— INEC Dismissing the allegations, the INEC public relations officer in Ekiti, Taiwo Gbadegesin, said: “This is not correct. All the materials distributed on Friday have been withdrawn. As we speak, they are in CBN while our smart card readers are here in our office, because they have to be reconfigured.”
source://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/pdp-apc-trade-words-over-withdrawal-of-sensitive-materials-by-inec/
