governor of offering N 2. 5 billion to a top official of the Independent National
Electoral Commission ( INEC) to frustrate the party ’s petition before the
Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal .
The party alleged that the “bribe ” was the reason the INEC top shot had been
frustrating its petition.
The APC said more INEC officials were also being compromised by some forces
in Akwa Ibom State.
The party levelled the allegations in a July 8 petition to the Director - General of the
Department of State Security Service (SSS ) and the Inspector - General of Police
(IGP ).
In the petition, which was sent through its legal counsel, Victor Iyanam , APC said
it had not been
able to access electoral materials brought from Akwa Ibom to
Abuja .
The party said it was compelled to write the petition after several complaints
against the continued refusal by the state INEC to grant access to it to inspect
election materials , despite the May 12 , 23 and June 25, orders of the tribunal .
The petition reads : “ The Akwa Ibom Tribunal , sitting in Abuja on June 25 , 2015 ,
ordered that the electoral materials be brought to Abuja for forensic analysis and
inspection.
“The underlying philosophy was that the INEC headquarters in Abuja would impose
a salutary environment for a free and fair inspection of the materials , as ordered
by the tribunal . As an added impetus, it was further ordered that the Directorate of
State Security (DSS ) and the police be available to maintain the peace at the site
of the inspections.
“It has, however unfortunately , come to our notice that the obstinacy of the top
INEC official to carry out the tribunal ’s orders or cooperate with our client to carry
out the inspection owes principally to the fact that N 2. 5 billion was disbursed to
him by a former governor , prior to the general elections, and the official now feels
obliged to complete the corrupt process by doing everything possible to frustrate
the governorship petition of the APC candidate , Umana Okon Umana . ”
The APC also expressed displeasure that INEC mutilated some electoral
materials .
It added : “It is now obvious that the attitude of the INEC official stems from the
irreparable damage he caused to be done to electoral materials in Akwa Ibom
State.
“Most electoral materials in Akwa Ibom State were deliberately destroyed ; water
was deliberately poured into the bags of materials while some were kept under
the rain , contrary to the established practice of keeping the materials in envelopes ,
according to their polling units
“We attach samples of electoral materials deliberately mutilated or otherwise
destroyed on the corrupt and irresponsible orders of the INEC official . Could this
be allowed to be business as usual, especially for the change we desire as a
nation. ”
The party said more INEC officials were also being compromised by some forces
in Akwa Ibom State.
It said : “To buttress the compromise of these characters by the Akwa Ibom State
government , they came to Abuja without the following vital documents :
“( a ) Polling Unit Result Sheets, namely Form EC 8 A for the 2982 units in Akwa
Ibom State
“( b) Ward Result Sheets : Form EC 8B for the 329 Wards in Akwa Ibom State; and
“( c ) LGA Result Sheets Form EC 8C for the 31 LGAs in Akwa Ibom State.
“The conduct of a top official of INEC , absolutely criminal in content , reckless in
execution and done with impunity , is not only a breach of public trust but would
have catastrophic consequences if allowed to go unpunished.
“It is a shame that notwithstanding the large scale fraud perpetuated by the PDP
in Akwa Ibom State, agents of the party and the government in power are still
bent on doing more damage to our collective psyche and stand in the way of
justice. ”
Source : The Nation
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