Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, are locked in a row over the alleged invasion and disruption of the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during the inspection of November 16th election materials as ordered by the governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through its State Secretary, Hon. God’spower Keku, alleged that midway into the ordered inspection, some thugs purportedly sponsored by the All Progressives Congress, (APC), invaded the venue and disrupted the process.
The All Progressive Congress (APC) through the State Secretary, Comrade Alabo Martins, however, denied the allegation and stated that the conduct of the PDP members during the disrupted inspection was a total violation of the order issued by the election petition tribunal in the presence of counsels and party agents.
“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. It was stated that while the PDP team was preparing for the inspection of election materials for Nembe Local Government Area, Otiotio-led APC thugs threw caution to the wind by disrupting the exercise.
“This 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.”
“The PDP in Bayelsa, therefore, call on the tribunal to ensure that the order given to inspect the 2019 Bayelsa Governorship election materials by the PDP be enforced.”
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 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.
“The INEC officials present, made up of two ladies, were overwhelmed with the strange number of persons imported by the PDP into an otherwise civil and simple exercise. Only 6 persons represented the APC as the PDP street urchins had a field day disrespecting in the glare of the whole world the tribunal’s orders. Unfortunately, our verbal protests could not make the PDP change its modus operandi, hence, officials of INEC had no choice than to suspend the exercise”.
“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 through its solicitors will take steps to void the outcome of this contemptuous display of impunity by the PDP and their sympathizers.
“Having witnessed the inspection exercise these past days from the morning hours to late evening, we find PDP’s resort to underhand means in effecting the order very disturbing. Let the truth prevail. The electorates of Bayelsa State have spoken.”
Contacted on the development, the Independent National Electoral Commission, ((INEC) through its Public Relations Office, Mr. Wilfred Ifogha, absolved the commission of any wrongdoing during the aborted inspection.
“INEC’s position is to obey the order of Election Petition Tribunal by making available to the petitioner election materials used during the election for their inspection. Whatever claims and counter claims that arose and disrupted the process yesterday should be better given by the parties involved,” he said.