INEC In Abuja Colludes With Akwa Ibom PDP To Defy Fresh Order For Inspection Of Election Materials

The Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) in Abuja has defied a fresh order for
inspection of materials allegedly used for the April
11, 2015 governorship election in Akwa Ibom State
as directed by the Governorship Election Tribunal
for the state sitting in Abuja despite the warnings
issued by the Tribunal against further disobedience
of its orders.
The Akwa Ibom State Governorship Election
Tribunal sitting in Abuja had on Wednesday June
24, 2015 while ruling on an application by the
governorship candidate of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), Umana Okon Umana who seeking
the nullification of the sham April 11 election
ordered INEC to move all election materials to
Abuja following the relocation of the Tribunal from
Uyo to Abuja over security concerns.
The three man panel of the Tribunal led by Justice
Sadiq Umar granted the governorship candidate of
the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom
State, Obong Umana Okon Umana a fresh 14 days
period to inspect and conduct forensic examination
on the materials from Monday July 6 to July 21,
2015.
It would be recalled that on the 12th May, 2015,
the Tribunal while sitting in Uyo had granted the
request of Mr. Umana Umana to carry out forensic
examination and inspection of all materials
allegedly used during the election. However, efforts
by lawyers and forensic experts engaged by Mr.
Umana were deliberately thwarted by the corrupt
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa
Ibom State, Mr. Austin Okojie who blatantly refused
to release the required materials and in some
cases, the relevant officers of INEC in Uyo bluntly
refused to cooperate, sometimes waiting to receive
instructions from Mr. Uwemedimoh Nwoko the
then Attorney General of the state who has been
just been reappointed in compensation for his
sabotaging role during the abortive inspection. Mr.
Nwoko had mobilised thugs to disrupt the
inspection exercise despite petitions against him to
the Nigerian Bar Association and the police.
However, despite the movement of the materials
from Uyo to Abuja, staffs of INEC in Abuja in
connivance with the corrupt Resident Electoral
Commissioner for Akwa Ibom, Austin Okojie and
other officials of the commission in Uyo have again
refused to cooperate with the APC candidate.
Except something drastic is done by the INEC
leadership the fresh 14 days period for the
inspection which started to run from Monday 6
July may end in futility without any inspection by
the APC due to deliberate antics of INEC.
On Monday July 6 when the inspection should
have commenced, the head of legal department of
INEC in Abuja by name Mr. Bawa feigned ignorance
of the order of the Tribunal and the movement of
the materials from Uyo to Abuja despite that INEC
was duly served with the order. Mr. Bawa shifted
blame to the head of legal of the commission in
Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Uche Okorie who he claimed
had dumped the materials in Abuja without
informing them and that Okorie will be coming
from Uyo to Abuja by road on Tuesday July 7.
As at 7pm on Wednesday, July 8 Mr. Okorie was
no where to be found. To further worsen the
situation, the legal team and forensic experts of the
APC candidate have been informed by Mr. Bawa
that even when Mr. Okorie arrives, the exercise will
not take place without the presence the Electoral
Officers who supervised the election in the 31 local
government areas of the state as they are the ones
to present the materials of their respective local
government areas for inspection. However, there is
no assurance on when the Electoral Officers will
arrive Abuja from Uyo.
A source in INEC revealed that the whole drama is
orchestrated by the Resident Electoral
Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State, Austin Okojie
in connivance with officials of the commission in
Abuja in a bid to prevent the APC candidate from
unravelling the massive fraud that he supervised
during the widely condemned April 11 polls in the
hope that it will jeopardize the case at the Tribunal.
The source further hinted that the PDP, former
Governor Godswill Akpabio and Udom Emmanuel,
the alleged winner of the election were very
embarrassed by the outcome of the initial abortive
inspection exercise in Uyo which revealed how the
election was rigged carelessly as forensic experts
discovered how ballot papers were thumb printed
in booklets containing several single ballot papers
without first detaching them in singles.
Sahara Reporters had exclusively reported on June
22, 2015 how the corrupt Akwa Ibom REC had
mobilised people on a Sunday to detached the
ballot papers in order to cover his tracks.
The initial inspection equally showed how the INEC
had mutilated and lumped ballot papers of different
polling units, wards and local governments
contrary to INEC guidelines which prescribes that
ballot papers of various polling stations, wards and
local governments should be separately preserved
after election.
Sahara Reporters has exclusively obtained some of
the photographs taken during the abortive
inspection exercise in Uyo which shows how ballot
papers of different areas were stuffed into Ghana
must go bags to sabotage the inspection exercise.
The photos also shows how fraudulent thump
printing in favour of the PDP were done in ballot
papers booklets containing several single ballot
papers without detaching them.
Reacting to the latest plot to undermine the
petition at the Tribunal, an official of the APC in
Akwa Ibom State expressed dismay over the latest
attempt to frustrate the case of the APC by
unscrupulous elements.
"This is another attempt to deny us access to the
materials despite the fresh order by the Tribunal.
Why are they afraid of inspection if they do not
have anything to hide, the truth is that they are not
ready to defend their so-called victory that is why
they have been using delay tactics at the Tribunal".
The party official stated.