Plot to rig cross river NASS elections uncovered

Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commissioner in Cross River State, Mr. Mike Igini, on Sunday, said an unnamed political party had perfected arrangements with some officials of the commission to rig the now postponed April 2 National Assembly election.


While noting that the plot would not have succeeded, Igini noted that the postponement of the National Assembly election by the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, had given the commission another opportunity to block all envisaged loopholes before the conduct of the election on Saturday.


He also disclosed at a press briefing at the commission’s headquarters in Calabar, the state capital, that the commission had postponed federal constituency elections in Abi and Yakuur Local Government Areas of the state indefinitely due to inadequate supply of materials, adding, however, that senatorial elections would hold in the affected areas.



Igini said, “The reaction of the public would have been more terrible if the commission had gone ahead to conduct the election despite those noticeable shortcomings exemplified by delay of supply of election materials.


“Surprisingly, but for the postponement, we noticed instances in some isolated areas for federal constituencies deviations by some of the poll officials of some of the rules that we have articulated over and again and we feel that it is important that as we go out on Monday, such observed actions and conducts should not be repeated.


“We have made it very clear that the audit train process must be followed. We invited political parties, observers, security agencies to witness the arrival of materials.


“On Saturday, we observed that despite the efforts we had made to ensure that agents of political parties must be present at every stage of the management process of the elections, we got reports even from senior police officers of the denial of some party agents at some points from participating in observing the process of the postponed elections.


“This is a clear breach of the law and the rule guiding these elections. The process is even more important than the outcome, because if the process is right, then the outcome would also be right. So, the process is very dear to us as umpires. No political party agent should be denied access from observing the various stages and processes for these elections.


“This is a final and serious warning to those who are not convinced that we are sufficiently motivated to show courage, to let them know that INEC in Cross River State will not allow this idea of business as usual, where people would take over INEC processes and turn the commission into stooges to undermine the will of the Nigerian people.


“I have several indications of these attempts which were fortunately stopped by the postponement of Saturday’s poll and for which many INEC staff who allowed themselves to be used in isolated places would have to answer very soon.”


The visibly angry REC warned that the commission would not entertain any incident of ballot stuffing.


“One thing we will deal with, which we noticed on Saturday, is that there will be no allocation of votes. What I saw on Saturday should not happen again, if that is what they think they will do, they will not succeed. I saw in one or two sheets a reflection of the inglorious past, we now know better,” Igini said.

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