The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Cross River State chapter has rejected the outcome of last weekend’s local government council elections describing it as a “monumental fraud never before witnessed in the state.”
The elections were held on Saturday and the All Progressives Congress, which rules the state, was declared the winner of the 18 LG Chairmen and 196 councillor seats in the state.
The election was condemned over allegations that some police officers seized some electoral materials from some polling units to a hotel for manipulation.
The police authority in the state has vowed to punish the officers involved as it has launched an investigation.
Arising from that, the chairman of the PDP in the state, Venatius Ikem, in a statement, said, “We state boldly that never in the political history of Cross River State have the electorate witnessed this kind of monumental electoral fraud perpetrated on Saturday.”
He lamented that the PDP had underestimated the “charade” that the electoral umpire was organising in the name of the local government election.
The party alleged that the ruling party, using the state independent electoral commission, deliberately hoarded and diverted election materials meant for the elections in the state to facilitate massive rigging.
He claimed that, “Verified reports obtained from our agents and independent observers pinpointed a well-orchestrated rigging plan, which included the diversion of election materials, the late arrival of insufficient ballot papers without standard serial numbers, and missing result sheets.
“Also, at most polling units, CROSIEC official stamps were not provided for the presiding officers to stamp the ballot papers after appending their signatures for authentication, as required by law.”
Specifically, he said “in Calabar South, Municipality, Obudu, Abi, and Obubra in particular, election materials meant for the entire local governments were diverted to the houses of APC stalwarts, where thumb printing was brazenly carried out.”
“For instance, in Obudu, no single election material was issued to anyone except the APC, which took custody and carted them away to the Military School in Bedia, where soldiers cordoned off everyone except APC members.
“Again, in Obanliku and Bekwarra local government areas, where ballot papers were distributed, no single result sheet accompanied them, and results were written on ordinary papers.”
While condemning the conduct of the election, the PDP urged its all “members to remain calm and peaceful, as the party shall pursue the outcome in a competent court of law.
“It is high time we put an end to attempts to deprive the citizens of their legitimate rights to elect who leads them at the local government level,” he added in the statement.