The declared intention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to dispose off some items, including used ballot boxes and papers has attracted serious criticism from the Ekiti State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC).
The electoral body had advertised in The Punch of Wednesday September 25 edition it's intention to auction some used items of the Commission, which include the ballot boxes and some election materials used in the conduct of the past elections, but Ekiti State APC has viewed this with serious concern and suspicion.
In its reaction through a Press statement signed by the interim Chairman, Chief Olajide Awe, APC Ekiti wondered why INEC, which is an electoral umpire should opt to auction such important and sensitive items.
"Given our past as a nation, especially with regards to crises directly connected with electoral fraud, irregularities and outright snatching and stuffing of ballot boxes culminating in Nigerians' disdain for and loss of faith in the electoral processes, the current attempt by INEC to auction electoral materials is suspect and uncalled for," the statement reads.
The party wondered what anybody would want to do with used election materials and why INEC would be so desperate to dispose them off at this crucial moment. Why now that the Anambra State gubernatorial election is around the corner. Is it as a result of where to warehouse them or what to earn from the sale?
Come November, the gubernatorial election will be conducted in Anambra State. This will be followed by those of Ekiti and Osun by the middle of next year (2014). We note that none of the states in question is presently under the control of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP), which incidentally produced President Goodluck Jonathan that constituted INEC.
Also on Friday September 27, 2014, the chairman of the electoral body, Prof Attahiru Jega was quoted in the dailies as saying that INEC would not guarantee the security of observers, local or international, during the coming elections. He was further quoted as citing countries like India where foreign observers are not allowed to monitor elections. These are scary statements and we interpret them to mean that the electoral body was trying to ward off observers from monitoring elections.
Though Prof Jega had tried his best to restore the people's confidence in the electoral process in the country, Ekiti APC would still like to warn that it would be fool-hardy to watch INEC make suspicious moves at this crucial time without summoning the courage to cry out, especially considering the desperation of President Jonathan and his PDP to hang on to power in spite of the internal crisis tearing the party apart and it's apparent rejection by Nigerians on the basis of non-performance.
Ekiti APC hereby calls on INEC to rescind its decision to sell election materials, which is akin to selling weapons to a warring party in a season of anomie. We also appeal to the people of good conscience to prevail on the body to desist from the sale, particularly preceding the 2014/2015 polls. Doing anything to the contrary may erode the confidence and hope of the people in Jega's INEC.
