Akwa Ibom REC debunks alleged plot with PDP to rig elections

Udeme Utip, Uyo

Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Dr. Cyril Omoregbe has debunked allegations from some quarters that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state is hop nubbing with the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to rig elections in their favour as the gubernatorial/State Assembly elections approaches.

Omoregbe described the allegations as utter display of ignorance for any party or individual, to say that INEC preloaded BVAS machines with information of figures before sending them to respective units.

The REC who was reacting to claims by the state chairman of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Apostle Nyeneime Andy, who alleged that Governor Emmanuel visited and spent several hours with INEC to conclude plans on how to rig the said polls using the BVAS, disclosed that the BVAS Machine has nothing to do with the election results as it is mainly used for accreditation of voters and taking pictures of results that comes out of the pooling units.

Apostle Andy had claimed that his party had received intelligence report of an alleged plot to favour the ruling PDP in the state and called on the police, the DSS and international observers to take curious interest in Akwa Ibom to avert the plot.

Omoregbe maintained that the Commission is not in any secret meetings with the state governor or PDP, neither does it have preference for any political party above others but says the commission is open to all parties and stakeholders that visits his office for information or clarification in respect of the elections.

For credible, fair, transparent governorship and State Assembly elections on Saturday March 18, Omorogbe called on political parties in the state not to heat up the polity with fake information, fake speculations, and jumping to conclusions on issues they know nothing about but approach INEC for accurate information and necessary questions.

Promising neutrality of the commission to conduct free, fair, credible and acceptable election in the state, Omorogbe said for timeliness avoidance of avondale mistakes, Electoral materials will arrive local government areas across the state 48hours to the elections.

He disclosed that his office had refresher courses for all staff including adhoc and collation officers as well as replace ineffective staffs to ensure better performance, adding that INEC has listened to suggestions from the masses and will perform better on Saturday.

For first hand information Omorogbe said he has put a back up process in place to get information from polling units as opposed to waiting to see if they have uploaded information somewhere.

“INEC is not having secret meetings with governor Udom led administration, neither is the commission having any unholy alliance with any political party. There is nothing truthful about those allegations laid by Young Progressives Party (YPP).

“I believed that the politicians are trying to rattle the cage, perhaps their believes is that when they come up with such allegations the average person will adjust. If you look at Akwa Ibom State, three main political parties won different seats in the last Presidential and National Assembly elections including the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District won by Senator Godswill Akpabio of APC and the Ikot Ekpene Federal seat won by APC and the YPP candidate is leading in the Ini/Ikono Federal constituency election so what will be the accusation now?

“Will they say INEC is romancing with three different political parties that won. Politicians should not heat up the polity with fake information and speculations or jumping to wrong conclusions on issues.

“Also, I want to tell you that INEC cannot preloaded BVAS, it is a display of ignorance if anybody is saying that, No one can preload BVAS because that means you know the number of people coming out to vote whereas you can’t automatically know how many people will come out and vote. I was not at any polling unit to preload BVAS.

“Note, that anywhere there is over-voting with BVAS it amount to zero. BVAS machine has nothing to do with the election results, all it does is accreditation of voters and taking pictures of results that comes out of the polling units.

“We will do a lot better on Saturday in the sense that we have seen areas where we don’t do well , we have studied what the general public complained of and now know solutions to them , for example we left here on Friday for the Presidential Elections, but for Saturday elections we will be leaving the central bank with Electoral materials statewide on Thursday 48hours to elections to different local government areas.

“This will give us enough time to prepare and double check as well as prepare to make sure everything needed are there as well as to avoid any mistake. We have had refresher training for the advocate staffs, Collation Polling Officers (CPOs), Supervising Polling Officers (SPOs), Polling Officers (POs) they have gone through refresher trainings.

“We have also replaced those that were not effective and didn’t do well. We have paid those involved in transportation. I have put up a backup process in place to get information on time as opposed to waiting to see if they have uploaded information somewhere. I have held meetings with my EOs. INEC didn’t deceive Nigerians with BVAS, what happened was that people are overzealous, they were expecting some magic but don’t forget BVAS is a system at times people were not vested in the system”. Omoregbe explained.