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Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, has accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Monday Udoh, of violating the governorship election petition tribunal order on the inspection of election materials.
He also berated chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of sponsoring thugs to disrupt the inspection exercise.
Diri said in defiance of the tribunal’s order, the REC allowed APC which is not party to the PDP’s prayer to inspect sensitive and non-sensitive voting materials.
He described, in a statement, APC involvement in the exercise as a flagrant abuse of the tribunal’s order, stressing that the REC has shown his level of partisanship which confirms PDP fears that he has been working for APC to defy the order of the tribunal.
He called on INEC Chairman, Mahmoud Yakubu, to beam his searchlight on the activities of the Bayelsa REC.
INEC, in a swift reaction, said the REC did not violate the tribunal’s order on the inspection of electoral materials.
Head of Department Voters, Education and Publicity, Wilfred Ifogha, in an interview, said APC members at the venue only observed the process of inspection being conducted by PDP.
“What happened is what obtains in standard practise. The APC is a party in the election, so if PDP is inspecting materials and INEC officials are there, it is only fair that APC should also observe,” he said.
