Tonye Cole River APC governorship candidate, others protest at INEC
… lament denial of access to CTC documents … say gov’ship results ‘suspicious’ … threaten to shut down INEC office Monday
Stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, on Friday, stormed the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Port Harcourt to protest the continued refusal of the electoral umpire from allowing them access to the Certified True Copies of documents used at the just concluded elections.
They alleged that INEC was deliberately frustrating them from approaching the Election Petitions Tribunal to prove their case, reminding they have just 21 days to file their petitions.
The protest was led by the party’s governorship candidate in the March 18 poll, Tonye Cole; his running mate, Dr. Innocent Barikor; the state APC Chairman, Emeka Beke and the State Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju.
Speaking with newsmen at the commission’s office, along Aba Road, Port Harcourt, Cole explained that they were there to express their frustrations over the attitude of the state INEC.
Cole said, “I am not happy at all. We have come to INEC to express our deep frustration at what is going on. Essentially, we are time bound. We have 21 days from the time that the election results were declared, to file our petitions.”
He said some of the party’s House of Assembly candidates had their declaration on the 18th, which was the day of election, saying, “Two weeks have gone, since we wrote to INEC. We requested from INEC to release CTC documents, but nothing was done.
“They have not released one single CTC document. And we have to prepare a brief, we have to go to Court. We have to prepare for Tribunals,” he disclosed.
Cole, who maintained that INEC has refused to act on a court order, which the party secured, asking INEC, to release the documents, to enable the party proceed to the Tribunal, described the act as “suspicious”.
“We have got court orders. They have been ignored. It tells me that something is going on. I believe that at this point in time, the onus is on INEC, as an independent election administrator, to be fair,” he stressed.
The state APC governorship candidate insisted, “Give us what we need, so that, we can go to court. Let us go to the tribunal and present a case. But if you release documents to us a day before the tribunal, what do we do?”
He however disclosed he had spoken with the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, adding, “He has promised that by Monday, something will happen. So, we will be back on Monday.”
Cole, meanwhile, has maintained his allegation that there were some irregularities in the March 18 election, insisting, “Asari-Toru is a clear example. The results were totally changed.”
Continuing, he noted, “The DG was at the collation centre, he made a protest against it. It was still accepted. Having been accepted, then, give us the document, let us review what happened. Nobody is answering us. I am very suspicious.”
Also speaking, the state APC Legal Adviser, Dike Iheanyichukwu alleged that the state INEC might have been “compromised.”
Iheanhichukwu threatened that the party will shut down the commission’s office on Monday, if their demands were not met.
He said, “We have made applications, asking INEC, Rivers State, to oblige us of CTC of EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D and other related EC series, as concerned elections.
“As I speak to you, INEC has not been able to give us a single document. And what we are talking about is going to the tribunal to seek redress. So, what INEC is doing is intentional. I have here a court order compelling INEC to allow us inspect documents, for them to give us a CTC. This order has been duly served on INEC. They have decided to disobey the law.
“I wonder why the REC cannot instruct his principal staff here to release CTC results. It is our right to demand it. Why are they denying us?” He queried.
He disclosed that only some days back, some Electoral Officers were invited to INEC, to review the results they presented.
According to the party’s legal adviser, “Why are they (INEC) afraid of releasing National Assembly EC8A?
“The INEC national chairman should hear this. All security agencies should hear this. INEC should give us what we want, because it is our right to file our petition and we must do so.
“If they don’t do that, by Monday, we will barricade this place. No worker will enter here. They should be ready to kill all of us,” Iheanyichukwu declared.
About Author
