- As protest rocks commission’s headquarters
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday denied any complicity in the alleged massive printing of the commission’s election result sheets in Rivers State.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday by its Secretary, Mrs. Augusta C. Ogakwu, the Commission stated “categorically that it has no knowledge whatsoever of this reported printing and did not commission the company allegedly involved or anyone in Rivers Sate to print any electoral materials for it.”
The Commission declared that, “The grave allegation of complicity in this illegality is of great concern to the Commission and it is liaising with the security agencies, particularly the police, to unravel the circumstances surrounding this fraudulent activity.”
According to it, “For emphasis, the Commission is committed to ensuring that a thorough investigation is carried out.
“For the record, lNEC states that in compliance with legal requirements, it issues on request Certified True Copies (CTCs) of result sheets and other public documents to all applicants. Following the elections of Saturday, March 19, 2016, most political parties and candidates applied, paid prescribed fees and were issued these Certified True Copies.
“Furthermore, in line with legal requirements all political parties and contestants in the Rivers State elections as well as other stakeholders were given a list of all senatorial districts, Federal and State Constituencies as well as all polling units where the re-run elections are to take place.”
This reaction came just as a concerned pro-democracy group, Alliance in Defence of Democracy, stormed INEC headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday protested over the alleged complicity of the officials of the Commission in the production of fake election result sheets.
The group lamented that the action was capable of truncating Nigeria’s democracy as the right of the citizens to have their votes count would have been denied.
Speaking, the Secretary of the group, Agu Okwukwe said that they were disappointed and shocked over the alleged complicity of INEC in the scam.