Bayelsa: PDP, APC trade words over inspection of governorship election materials

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa state are in war of words over the alleged invasion of the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and disruption of the inspection of November 16th​ election materials as ordered by the Governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja.

​ The PDP through the state Secretary General Godspower Keku alleged that midway into the inspection, some thugs purportedly sponsored by the APC invaded the venue and disrupted the process.

“The PDP team ably supervised by INEC officials had successfully inspected election materials for the Southern Ijaw local government area before the thugs invaded the venue.”.

 “This has led to the decision by both the INEC officials assigned for the task and the PDP inspection team to suspend the inspections for today.

It is worthy of note that the order issued by the tribunal on the 9th of December 2019 permits the PDP and INEC officials only to inspect the election materials.

 It is therefore a violation of the order of the tribunal and outright lawlessness on the part of the APC to disrupt the peaceful exercise.”.

​ However, the APC through the State Secretary, Comrade Alabo Martins, denied the allegation describing the conduct of the PDP members during the inspection as a total violation of the order issued by the election petition tribunal on the presence of counsels and party agents.

Reacting the​ APC, said though the party was of the suspicion that the venue fixed for the inspection, which has been on-going since 11th December 2019, was a deliberated and well-orchestrated by the PDP,” and their bevy of young men and girls numbering nothing less than 50; not being the Petitioner, Solicitor or Party Agents to cause confusion and tamper with electoral documents to fit their already shaky petition as this voyage of fishing for documents portend”.

​ “We fear that the outgoing PDP government is set to destroy evidence of its defeat, distort sensitive electoral documents and tamper with same. In the circumstance, we appeal to INEC not to treat PDP’s conduct with levity and call the gang of Interlopers and busy bodies off.​ At the appropriate time, the APC though it’s solicitors will take steps to void the outcome of this contemptuous display of impunity by the PDP and their sympathizers”.​

​ Contacted on the development, the Independent National Electoral Commission ((INEC) through its Public Relations Office, Mr. Wilfred Ifogha, absolve the Commission of any wrong doing during the aborted inspection.

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