Rivers APC candidates storm INEC headquarters

‎EMEKA AMAKOR, Abuja

All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the last general elections yesterday morning forced the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to shut its doors.

The candidates who stormed the national secretariat, Abuja, demanding an audience with the acting INEC chairman, were denied entry by the security personnel.

All entreaties to either allow them to meet with the INEC chairman inside the commission or she comes out to brief them failed.

The group who came to INEC to demand for the release of the election materials used at the last elections for the prosecution of their cases were stopped by the security.

When the group led by the APC governorship candidate in the April 11 election, Dakuku Peterside, moved close to the commission’s gate, the automated gate was quickly shut and pepper tear gas was sprayed on them including the journalists who came to cover the protest.

‎The earlier quiet visit aimed to present the request was turned to protest following the tear-gassing of the candidates.

The group, in their reaction, said, “It is highly worrisome that the Independent National ‎Electoral Commission which ought to assume the position of an unbiased umpire has now thrown caution to the wind and is now hobnobbing with the other respondents in the aforesaid petitions to frustrate the speedy and efficient determinations of the petitions.

“The foregoing collaboration and partnership between the commission and other respondents to the petitions is confirmed by the commission’s refusal ‎to allow our experts inspect electoral materials, refusal to produce properly certified true copies and the series of objections filed by counsel to the commission challenging the tribunal’s order for inspection of electoral materials,” it stated.