Our attention has been drawn to a list of properties INEC intends to use as Registration Area Centres (RACs) and Registration Area Collation Centres (RACCs) in Rivers State. The very worrisome observation is that most of these hotels are owned by PDP stalwarts that are in the good book of Gov. Wike.
We urge INEC to, as a matter of urgency, rescind such decision. Visa Karena, Landmark, Rachael, Comfort, MAAS Central, and Mina Hotels are all owned by persons that are functional members of the Rivers State PDP.
Visa Karena is owned by Chief Sergeant Awuse while Landmark is owned by Sen. Olaka Nwogu, and it is an inarguable fact that both men are members of Gov. Wike’s sanctum. How does INEC expect other parties to accept results collated in such properties?
We urge the INEC National Chairman to carry out an independent enquiry to ascertain the political stance of the owners of these properties. We shall join well+meaning Rivers people to suspect and eventually revolt against foul play should this letter of remonstration not be heeded.
Election should be transparent in order to be acceptable. To ensure that our electioneering process is free of hiccups, several legislative and legal fireworks have been injected by the FGN under the auspices of President Muhammad Buhari.
We put it to INEC that the injection of BVAS into its system counts as nothing, if its structure is still corruption laden. This attempt to use properties belonging to card-carrying members of the PDP as RAC and RACC in Rivers State smacks of corruption.
We advise INEC to revert to the use of public schools and properties as RAC and RACC so that the process will be both neutral and acceptable. There are public properties in every community in Rivera State.
Finally, we advise INEC to ensure that properties it intends to use to stockpile sensitive election materials are first advertised for the public to react. A one-week (7 days) advert will suffice to ensure that properties used are not owned by persons with vested interest. INEC must act right. So much taxpayers’ money goes into funding of INEC. The electoral body must justify such huge funding by acting right.
10/1/2023
PDP Presidential Campaign Council Media Team , Rivers State .
