http://nextedition.com.ng/2019/02/23/inec-denies-allegations-hoarding-electoral-sheets/

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Friday dismissed an allegation by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that it was hoarding some election materials.

The Chief Press Secretary of the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, said the Commission would never deliberately hoard election materials or engage in any act intended to favour any political party or candidate.

He noted that in the past week, the commission had mobilised all national assets to deliver various election materials, day and night, to various parts of the country.

The PDP had accused INEC of withholding sensitive election materials from some states.

According to the party the materials, which included collation (form EC8D) and result (form EC8E) sheets were being withheld in states considered to be PDP strongholds.

The PDP in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary and Director, Media & Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Organization, Kola Ologbondiyan claimed that some INEC staff were compromised and working with the APC to rig the election.

The statement stated, "Intelligence at our disposal shows that certain compromised INEC officials are working with agents of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to hold back the material so as to pave way for the allocation of fictitious results for President Muhammadu Buhari and APC National Assembly candidates in the affected states.

The party had noted that in Abia state, collation forms and result sheets had not been received for the Senatorial elections, while in Delta and some other states, result sheets had not been received.

It also claimed that in some states materials delivered fell short of the number required.

However, in denying the accusations, Oyekanmi said: “While the Commission has experienced a few challenges in the process, which is normal with the logistical operation of this magnitude, we have largely overcome these challenges.

“The Chairman of INEC, (Mahmood) Yakubu, has been briefing the nation daily since last Monday on the progress made.

“I think that every well-meaning Nigerian will agree that INEC needs all the support it can get to organise a successful general election starting from tomorrow (today) Feb. 23.

“We want to assure Nigerians who have shown a lot of support and understanding, especially in the last one difficult week, that the Commission will never deliberately hoard election materials or engage in any act intended to favour any political party or candidate.”

He reiterated the call to Nigerians to feel free to vote for any political party or candidate of their choice and assured them that their votes would count.

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