All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state has cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against compromising its integrity and neutrality in the deployment of ad-hoc staff in the state, during the forthcoming general elections.
Kwara state Chair of APC Chairman, Hon. Bashir Bolarinwa 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 People’s Democratic Party (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 Department of State Service (DSS) officer.
He added that when the EO was forced to open the office by the DSS office he admitted to hiding the boxes, but claimed it was a mistake.
Hon. Bolarinwa said: “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 oarty which has the support of the people will emerge victorious.”
APC chair asked 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 that would enable the parties to know what is deployed where, adding that it would forestall attempt by desperate politicians bent on rigging the elections.