Date: 2019-02-19

THE Kwara State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly warned INEC against compromising its integrity and neutrality in the execution of its assignment, especially in the deployment of ad-hoc staffers in the state, during the forthcoming general elections.

The warning was contained in a statement issued in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Monday by the Kwara APC Chairman, Hon. Bashir Bolarinwa.

The Chairman said the party has received information that those being posted across Kwara as Electoral Officers (EOs) and Technical Staff were nominated and trained by the PDP.

He also cited the case of an EO who was caught hiding boxes of ballot papers in an office in Kwara North by a vigilant DSS officer, saying that when the EO was forced to open the office by the DSS official, he admitted to hiding the boxes, but claimed it was a mistake.

"We have also been inundated with the information that the technical staff in particular, most of whom are trained ICT experts, are known PDP members and are under strict instructions to manipulate the card readers in favour of the PDP.

"It is totally unacceptable that INEC, which is the umpire, will work in cahoots with any political party or even accept a list of ad-hoc staff from the parties. We are therefore calling on the security agencies to put all INEC staffers under strict surveillance to forestall any attempt to compromise them. On our part, we will also ensure that the process is not compromised by tainted staffers.

"As we have always said, we want a level playing field for all the political parties contesting the elections in the state. It is only then that the people can most freely exercise their franchise, and the party which has the support of the people will emerge victorious," Hon Bolarinwa said.

Meanwhile, the Chairman has called on INEC to make available to all the parties the record of the sensitive materials they will be deploying to all local governments and wards across the state, ahead of Saturday's Presidential and National Assembly elections.

He said this is necessary in order for the parties to know what is deployed where, and to forestall the attempt by desperate politicians who, despite being widely rejected by the people, are bent on rigging the elections.