C/River LG Poll: PDP Rejects Early Results, Begs Tinubu for Intervention
The Cross River State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urgently appealed to President Bola Tinubu for intervention in the ongoing local government elections, citing significant irregularities and alleged manipulations by the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC).
In a statement released by the campaign organization of Hon. Stephen Okpako, the PDP candidate for Yala Local Government Area, the party accused CROSIEC of failing to adhere to electoral protocols.
They specifically highlighted that election materials were distributed without essential result sheets and declaration forms, compromising the integrity of the voting process.
The statement expressed concern over the integrity of the elections, stating, “The ongoing local government election in Cross River State is currently marred with irregularities, manipulations, lack of due process, and compromise.”
The PDP alleged that CROSIEC is acting in collusion with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), suggesting that this collaboration is intended to disenfranchise voters and undermine democratic principles.
The Okpako campaign organization emphasized their commitment to challenging these actions, declaring, “We will not accept this deliberate attempt to truncate the will of the people.” They also called on national and local stakeholders, including the National Assembly, the Judiciary, civil society organizations, and security agencies, to take note of the situation.
The statement read;
The ongoing local government election in Cross River State is currently mar with irregularities, manipulations, lack of due process, and compromise
We wish to bring to the notice of Mr President, the National Assembly, the Judiciary, Civil Society Organisations, the Governor of Cross River State, the State House of Assembly, the security agencies, the press and the general public that the ongoing local government elections in Cross River State, particularly in Yala LGA, is flawed with unthinkable malpractices as Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) and her officials are only playing the script of the ruling party, APC in the State.
The State Electoral Umpire distributed election materials to all the political wards in Yala LGA without result sheets and declaration forms.
Therefore, the campaign organization of Hon Stephen Okpako, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party for Yala LGA, frowned at this anti-democratic development in a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise voters and erode the tenets of our democracy.
Okpako campaign organization, as well as Yala Chapter of the PDP, will not accept this deliberate attempt to truncate the will of the people.
“To be forewarned is to be forearmed.”
—– Barr Alex Edim
For: Hon Stephen Okpako’s campaign organization