The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, has threatened to mobilise its members to barricade the main entrance into the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Port Harcourt, over the commission’s alleged refusal to release the certified true copies (CTC) of the just-concluded election results in the State.
The copies include that of Form EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D and other related EC series as it concerns the February 25, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections as well as that of March 18, 2023 Governorship and House of Assembly election in the state.
Addressing journalists at the INEC headquarters in Port Harcourt on Friday, the APC governorship candidate, Pastor Tonye Cole, said the party members and supporters will storm the commission’s office again on Monday, April 3, 2023 and will not leave the facility until all necessary documents were handed over to them.
Cole was accompanied by his running mate, Dr. Innocent Barikor, APC Chairman in the state, Chiec Emeka Beke and the party legal adviser, Dike Ifeanyichukwu, amongst others.
Accusing officials of the electoral body of attempting to frustratedthe party’s efforts to challenge the outcome of the elections at the Tribunal, the governorship hopeful stated that the APC, just like other political parties, have limited period of time to go to the Tribunal.
Cole said: “Today is not a good day; I am not happy at all. We have come to INEC to express our deep frustration over what is going on. Essentially, we are time-bound; we have 21 days from the day the election was declared to file.
“Some of our House of Assembly candidates had their results declared on March 18, on the election day. Two weeks had gone already. We have written and requested that INEC releases CTC documents.
“For two weeks now, nothing, they have not released one CTC document to us and we have to prepare a brief, we have to go to Tribunal. We have gotten court orders but they have been ignored. It tell you that something is going on but I don’t want to believe what is happening in INEC.
“I believe that at this point in time, the onus is on INEC as an independent regulator and administrator of elections to be fair; give us what we need so that we can go to court. Let us go to the Tribunal and present the case but if you release documents to us a day before the tribunal; what do we do?
“We have come here today (Friday) and unfortunately, there is nobody in the office. I have spoken to the Resident Electoral Commissioner and he promised that on Monday something will happen.
“So, we will be back on Monday and when we come, we expect to collect the documents. We expect to leave INEC with all the documents. We are not leaving this place without the documents. We expect that when we come on Monday, we will get every necessary documents so that we can go and prepare for the Tribunal.”