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Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Bayelsa State has raised the alarm over the disappearance of 63 card readers.
The electoral commission said the 63 card readers, which were given out during the conduct of the president and National Assembly elections of February 23 were not returned to the commission after polls closed in the state.
Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Monday Udom, who disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting, yesterday, ahead of the governorship and House of Assembly elections, expressed concern that the missing card readers could affect the smooth conduct of polls in the state.
He, therefore, appealed to those with the card readers to return them to the commission, so they can be configured for Saturday’s elections.
Udom also told the gathering of stakeholders, which included chairmen of political parties, security agencies and members of the National Orientation Agencies (NOA), that 60 ad hoc staff, including those from the commission and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have opted out of the forthcoming elections due to security concerns.
According to him, 60 of those who participated inthe February 23 elections are not going to participate in Saturday’s elections because of the level of violence they witnessed during the presidential and National Assembly elections.
He said the commission has made contingency plan to ensure it does not affect the election, adding that INEC might stagger election in some areas.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has, again, called for the disbandment of the Bayelsa State security outfit, Operation Doo Akpo.
Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Yekini Nabena, in a statement, appealed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, to ban the operations of the security outfit, which he alleged the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is using to rig elections in the state.
Nabena, who accused Governor Seriake Dickson of flooding the state with arms ahead of Saturday’s elections, said the APC has uncovered the arms build-up plot of the PDP.
“I call on the IGP to, urgently, probe the illegal activities of the state security outfit, Operation Doo Akpo, which the governor and PDP chieftains used to rig the presidential and National Assembly elections.
“Stakeholders in Bayelsa State have received security reports, which indicate arms build-up in the state ahead of Saturday’s elections. IGP Adamu should urgently investigate the illegal activities of Operation Doo Akpo,” he said.
