Edo State PDP rejects INEC ad hoc staff, claims they are APC members

Edo state chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged bias and inducement against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the recruitment of ad-hoc staff, saying the list contains mainly All Progressives Congress’s (APC) card-carrying members for the conduct of elections in the state.

It also alleged that the state government had given the INEC electoral officers some amount of money to smuggle APC members into the list.

Consequently, the party rejected the list, saying it must be completely discarded, as it is a recipe for chaos.

In a statement yesterday signed by the state publicity secretary, Chris Nehikhare, the opposition party insisted that the forthcoming election must be free and fair.

He said: “The list, we are informed, was written by the state government and handed over to the vice chancellor for transmission to INEC.

This purported INEC’s ad hoc staff list must be completely discarded as it is a recipe for chaos and poses a great danger to our nascent democracy.

According to him, “We reject it and condemn the politicisation of the ‘employment’ of APC members as ad hoc staff to manage the election process. We call on the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof. Faraday Orumwense, not to allow himself to be used.

“He must do the right thing by withdrawing the list he was prevailed upon to submit, and hand over the one made up of genuine staff of University of Benin. The forthcoming election must not only be free, fair and transparent, it must also be seen to be so.”

Nehikhare also alleged that the electoral officers have given APC candidates Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) in bulk to be distributed among their members while depriving other citizens and eligible voters of their cards.

“We want them to know that we are aware of the N500, 000.00 alert from Edo State government agents for the cooperation and assistance rendered to smuggle APC members into the list of ad-hoc staff,” he said. “This action, we warn again, is a recipe for chaos!

“We are aware that electoral officers have given APC candidates PVCs in bulk to distribute among its members and those they believe will vote, while depriving other citizens and eligible voters their cards. To mask this fraud, the electoral officers are claiming flood have destroyed them.

“In Oredo, Hon Chris Okaeben, an APC candidate, has been spotted and reported to be in possession of thousands of PVCs and distributing same to his party loyalists and supporters. We believe these are some of the purportedly destroyed PVCs.”

However, Orumwense through his spokesperson, Mr. Micheal Osasuyi, has responded to the allegations and invited PDP to verify the names on the claimed list. The meeting is scheduled to hold today.