INEC Fire Outbreak: PDP Raises Concern Over Integrity Of Ondo Guber Poll

…INEC Should Come To Equity With Clean Hands

Deji Adebayo, Akure

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ondo State Chapter has raises concern over the fire incidence that got INEC office in Akure, Ondo state capital Thursday night which destroyed over 5,000 card readers ahead of the gubernatorial election in the state.

These concerns and questions were contained in a press statement received by Daily Metro News in the early hour of Friday, signed by its Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Peretei.

The statement said, they received the news of the fire outbreak that engulfed a container with over 5000 card reader machines at the Akure office of INEC on Thursday night with great disappointment.

The PDP is asking INEC some questions that they felt will give Ondo state electorates some confidence in the electoral umpire ahead of the October 10 election.

The press statement as received by Daily Metro News unedited:

Press Statement

Fire Outbreak: INEC Should Come To Equity With Clean Hands

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ondo State Chapter received the news of the fire outbreak that engulfed a container with over 5000 card reader machines at the Akure office of INEC on Thursday night with great disappointment.

The PDP is asking INEC the following questions:

Is INEC saying it does not have an internal mechanism to curtail fire outbreak in her office? Is the metal container containing the over 5000 card reader machines connected to electricity? If so, was the electricity supply not put off after the official close of work at 05.00pm? Where were the security officers on duty at the time the fire started? Why was it that fire engulfed a container housing over 5000 card reader machine within few minutes?

All these questions are important for INEC to answer the good people of Ondo State as we cannot afford to go into an election in the next 30 days with a compromised system.

The PDP noted the comment of INEC that the October 10 election won’t be affected by this development, but this is not enough from a Commission whose existence is being funded by tax payers money.

The PDP demand in detail the full report of the causes of the inferno and when it is established those culpable must be sanctioned.

The PDP also use this medium to remind INEC that the people of Ondo State cannot be taken for granted as no excuse would be accepted from the Commission if there is a complain of non functionality of card reader machines during the forthcoming election.

We want to believe that INEC will come to equity with clean hands and play the role of an unbiased umpire during and after the election.

Or how do we explain a scenario where fire razed over 5000 card reader machines just 30 days to the governorship election?

Kennedy Ikantu Peretei

Publicity Secretary, PDP, Ondo State.

11th September, 2020.