An independent election observer group, the Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group (ISDMG), has accused those it described as desperate politicians who are determined to undermine the electoral process as being behind the printing of fake election result sheets saga in Rivers State.
The group also described the call for the sack of the INEC chairman as laughable, saying it appears some politicians are afraid of the changes the INEC boss has brought to the system which has sanitised the electoral process.
Addressing a press briefing in Abuja, Yemi Osundinakin, said politics doesn’t have to be a do-or-die endeavour but our political class has resolved to use every tactic, no matter how dirty, repulsive, divisive or out-rightly outrageous, to undermine the electoral process.
She, therefore, urged Nigerians to rally behind the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure the electoral body carries out its responsibility of conducting a free and fair election.
She said a more repelling dimension to all these political acrimony is the readiness with which these politicians, who themselves are perpetrators of these devious acts try to heap the blame on INEC and its officials.
According to her, the ploy is to discredit the electoral body and allow the desperate politicians carry out the devious act of election rigging.
She, however, urged the police to wade into the matter and ensure those behind the printing of fake results are arrested and brought to book.
She said, “the ISDMG condemns, in its entirety, the varying acts of desperation displayed by the politicians to destabilize the polity. This ranges from the shameless rampart votes buying in Edo State to the unending legal bickering in Ondo State and now to the reported printing of election result sheets in Rivers State.
“We strongly charge the Nigerian police to investigate, particularly, this matter and bring to book every culpable individual involved in this mess. It is high time highly placed culprits are brought to justice; this will, in no small measure, stand as a strong statement in the readiness of this administration to not only fight corruption but to engender a free and fair atmosphere for the conduct of upcoming elections in the country including the 2019 general elections; thus, we believe, this will deter intending election offenders.
“On the current issue at hand, it is pertinent to ask, if someone is caught printing fake currencies, do you ask the CBN governor to resign? Why then does our political class seize every flimsy opportunity to place unwarranted and most irresponsible call for the sack or resignation of INEC hierarchy, this then begs the question, we need to ask- who is really afraid of INEC?
“We urge all well-meaning Nigerians to resolve to defend our democracy against the tyranny of the political class by ensuring that their mud-slinging tactics and deliberate efforts to undermine INEC are brought to nought.”