THE Mega Party of Nigeria in Ondo State has petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the omission of the party’s logo on the ballot paper used to conduct the February 23 National Assembly election in the Ondo North senatorial districts of the State.
The South West Chairman of the party, Mr Biyi Poroye, who disclosed this during a press conference in Akure, Ondo state capital, called for the cancelation of the election, threatening to drag the electoral commission before tribunal for omitting the party’s logo on the ballot paper used for National Assembly election in the Ondo North senatorial district.
Poroye observed that the omission of the party’s logo on the ballot paper disfranchised many of the party’s members and supporters during the election, saying all the party loyalists could not vote for the party’s senatorial candidate, Dr Dipo Fatogun, in the election.
He disclosed the party noted the development and notified the national office of the INEC but said INEC failed to rectify the omission and described the development as a gross violation of voter’s right and as entrenched in the 1999 Constitution and the 2010 Electoral Act (as amended).
ALSO READ: IBB sets agenda for Buhari, lists restructuring, security, economy as…
He said: “We discover that the logo was missing on the ballot paper, and we made frantic efforts to inform INEC about the development but we were told that necessary action had been taken.
But to the surprise of our members and teeming supporters, the party logo was missing on the ballot papers at the end of the day when we get to the polling centres.
We complained to INEC through the National chairman and national Secretariat and they expressed the surprise over the development and the havoc it would do to the party at the time we discovered this.
But they said there was nothing they could do again and we understand they cannot reprint the ballot again and when our members and supporters started calling after the election we assured them that the error will not go unrectified.”
He, however, assured the party supporters that the party would pursue the matter to a logical conclusion, saying “It is important for us to let you know that we did not allow you labour in vain and get to the field only to discover that the logo of the party was missing on the ballot papers.
He said further, “As at now we cannot explain the reasons for the omission by INEC. We wonder why we are sub changed and why our people were disenfranchised to vote for the party of their choice in the Northern senatorial district.”
He, however, threatened to drag INEC before the tribunal to correct the injustice which denied the party victory in the election.
Poroye said: “I am aware that the tribunal will be set up any moment from now and we will pursue this matter at the tribunal to make our point and call for a new National Assembly election in the Northern senatorial district.”
The MPN chairman also called on INEC not to disenfranchise the people of the southern senatorial district in the rescheduled inconclusive National Assembly election in the area.
Poroye noted that election did not take place in some area which the electoral umpire had not listed where the rescheduled election would take place.
“We call on INEC to conclude this inconclusive election in every area where voting did not take place. Every affected area should be included and it is not the duty of INEC to exclude certain areas and INEC should do due diligence and cover all area where there was no voting, where ballot boxes were burnt and some areas where card readers were not used.
“The point we are trying to make here is that as a party we don’t want eligible voters from these areas to be disenfranchised because many unit and centres are not included in the area.”
and then