Probe Cross River INEC Commissioner Now, PDP Urges ICPC

The Peoples Democratic Party has called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to investigate the just-concluded Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency bye-election in Cross River State.

Specifically, the party called on ICPC to probe the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mr Cyril Omorogbe.

In addition, the PDP appealed to the Chairman of INEC, Mr Mahmoud Yakubu, to redeploy the REC with immediate effect.

The party alleged that the election was rigged, leading to the declaration of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Jude Ogbeche, as the winner of the poll held on February 26, 2022.

Speaking regarding the complaint it said has been made at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the party said, “It is unfortunate that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission were involved in the shenanigans that characterised the bye-election of 26th February 2022 in Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency.

“The exercise which was marred by violence, killing, thuggery and unprecedented electoral fraud had the Resident Electoral Commissioner, the HOD of the Commission’s ICT unit and security agencies all as collaborators.

“The Cross River INEC’s REC was quick to dismiss the petitions of the opposition over violence and irregularities that occurred in the process simply because he was under duress.

“The HOD of the ICT unit who was supposed to ensure that, results must be shown in conformity with the biometric accreditation to validate the votes or risk it being cancelled did not also do so.”

Our correspondent could not get the reaction of INEC at the time of filing this report.