Election materials: PDP members protest at INEC office in Rivers

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State have staged a protest at the state office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

The protesters blocked all sections of the Port Harcourt-Aba express road leading to the INEC office.

PDP members in the state are demanding the Certified True Copy of the results that declared the winner of the election on March 18.

They also demand that INEC does not allow just one political party to inspect electoral material, but that inspection should be done jointly.

One of the leaders of the protest, Edison Ehie, who is the leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, said their mandates were freely given to them by Rivers people and vowed to protect it.

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Ehie said their demand for joint inspection follows alleged uncovered plots by a certain political party in collaboration with some security agencies and INEC, to smuggle fake results into the INEC office in the guise of inspecting election materials.

“We are here to peacefully protest at the INEC office in Port Harcourt. We hear that the opposition has refused to accept defeat as usual.

“Election was conducted peacefully. And PDP Rivers State won overwhelmingly, 23/23. It is clear the evidence is there, but on credible intelligence, they have gathered again in connivance with some security agents and a few INEC officials, to concoct the rest sheets, with the ambition of rubbing off on the victory and mandate given to us by Rivers people.

“Therefore, we have come to the INEC office in our numbers to say we want the Certified True Copies of all results sheets, as required by law, to be given to us.

“Secondly, we are demanding that any inspection of electoral material and result sheets must be done jointly by us, APC, Labour Party, and any opposition party. We will not accept any inspection where they will go into the INEC office to inspect without us; they have the right to inspect, and we also have the right to inspect, so it must be done jointly.

Newspot gathered that the APC had planned to return to the INEC office on Monday (today) to collect the CTC of the results, as promised by INEC REC in the state.