The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has berated the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs. Gesila Khan, for blocking the party from having access to evidence of monumental rigging of the March 28 and April 11 elections in the state with a view to seeking redress at the Election Petition Tribunal.

Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, in a statement issued yesterday, lamented that

the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Rivers State under the watch of Mrs. Khan could bar his party agents from accessing INEC premises to photocopy result sheets for the purported elections in preparation for the party’s appearance at the Election Petition Tribunal.. “This woman’s hatred for APC and for truth and justice is unfathomable and deserves strong condemnation by all lovers of truth, justice and credible elections,” he said.

Ikanya also disclosed that the APC State Party Agent had written to REC Khan shortly after INEC announced the purported winners of the discredited polls, requesting for the Voter Registers, Materials Distribution forms E25A, Query Log for accredited voters, and Result sheets for all the 23 local government areas of the state.

“We made this request because under the Electoral Act, all results and other materials used for elections are meant to be available and accessible to all parties as soon as the elections are over to enable those who wish to challenge the results at the Elections Tribunal to do so within the 21 days prescribed by law for doing so. It is unfortunate that almost two weeks after the charade which she conjured in the name of elections in Rivers State, Mrs. Khan has refused to grant our request despite several reminders,” Ikanya further lamented.

He also accused the REC of busying herself with the concocting and recording of figures with a view to hiding the monumental electoral fraud she orchestrated in concert with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on March 28 and April 11.

“Since after the purported polls, PDP and Rivers INEC have been re-writing the results, doctoring documents and thumb-printing ballot papers till date. This is currently ongoing in Rivers INEC headquarters under the supervision of Mrs. Khan and the Head of Administration, Mr. Bocco, specifically in the strong room of INEC near the Administrative Secretary’s office; the store and inner store of the commission; next door to the Legal Officer; and the 23 LGA offices of INEC in Rivers State,” Ikanya said.

Rivers APC passionately appealed to INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, to direct Mrs. Khan to immediately comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the Freedom of Information Act by granting the party unfettered access to the requested materials.

“Furthermore, we urge Prof. Jega to, as a matter of urgency, move all sensitive materials used for the discredited elections away from Rivers State as their safety is not guaranteed under the watch of Mrs. Khan, who has overzealously worked to enthrone an unpopular PDP government in our state,” Ikanya stated.

•Photo shows Rivers REC Gesila Khan.

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