The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo has denied interfering with political parties inspecting election materials and BVAS machines used in the just-concluded gubernatorial election.
The state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Anugbumu Onuoha, in a statement in Benin on Wednesday, said the allegations of obstructing the examination of materials are baseless, misleading and lacking in truth. said.
NAN reports that the PDP and its candidate Dr. Asue Ighodalo have accused INEC of disobeying a court order allowing access to election materials.
Onuoha explained that the committee had decided to inspect the material at its headquarters in Benin on Wednesday in furtherance of its commitment.
“INEC and my office have made certain unsubstantiated allegations suggesting that I have denied political parties and their representatives access to inspect BVAS equipment and other election materials used in recent elections. We are paying attention to.
“We would like to declare that these allegations are baseless, misleading and completely devoid of truth.
“Under my leadership in Edo, INEC remains committed to upholding the highest standards of transparency, fairness and integrity in all electoral processes,” he said.
Onuoha noted that access to election materials is a fundamental right of all political parties involved in election petitions, adding that this is a process that INEC is mandated to facilitate by law.
He explained that he or any staff in his office had never interfered with or denied access to materials used in previous elections by any political party or its representatives.
“INEC is fully aware of the legal implications of such actions and is committed to supporting legal processes that enable parties to seek redress in court. Masu.
“In furtherance of this commitment, we would like to inform the public that the inspection of electoral materials, including BVAS equipment, is officially scheduled for Wednesday (today) at INEC headquarters in Benin.
“All political parties and their representatives are invited to participate in this exercise in accordance with legal procedures to ensure transparency and compliance with the rule of law,” he added.
He assured political parties and their candidates seeking access to materials that they would have unhindered access provided they followed the appropriate procedures set out by the Election Petitions Tribunal and the relevant legal framework.
According to him, it is therefore unfortunate that these baseless accusations were spread without any evidence and without proper engagement with my office.
“We urge all stakeholders and the public to ignore such misinformation.As a commission, we remain loyal to the Nigerian people, the Constitution and the rule of law.
“As an institution, INEC values transparency and is fully committed to ensuring that the electoral process is free, fair and accountable.”
The REC also encouraged parties wishing to engage his office regarding inspection of materials to do so through appropriate legal channels.
He assured them of his full cooperation.
