By Chris Udochukwu
Abuja (Precise Post) – Yiaga Africa Watching The Vote (YAWV) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to sanction the Electoral Officer (EO) of Orumba North, Mrs Comfort Omorogie for her complicity and conspiracy with political actors and security agents to falsify election results.
Recall that the Returning Officer (RO) of Orumba north local government areas had yesterday accused Mrs Comfort publicly of compelling him to declare false result under duress.
Yiaga Africa made the call on Monday at a press briefing while delivering it’s preliminary report on the 2021 Anambra gubernatorial election to newsmen in Abuja.
On the supplimentary election scheduled to hold tomorrow in Ihiala local government area, Yiaga urged INEC to publish the total number of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) collected in that area and inform the public on the status of uncollected PVCs.
It called on INEC to undertake an audit of the BVAS and ensure that all the technological glitches with the device are resolved ahead of the supplementary elections to prevent delays and possible disenfranchisement of voters.
Yiaga Africa while condemning the late commencement of election due to logistics issues, asked INEC to terminate its contractual relationship with road transport unions, especially those notorious for breach of contractual obligations. In addition to termination, INEC should seek legal remedies against transporters who are liable for breach of contract, Yiaga Africa stressed.
Further more, Yiaga Africa tasked INEC to maintain nonpartisan and professional conduct in the Nov 9, 2021 supplementary election.
In it’s reaction to the security threat in some communities in Ihiala LGA, YAWV implored security agencies to ensure strategic deployment to flashpoints polling units in Ihiala to guarantee the safety of voters, polling officials and materials during the supplementary election. Adding that all security personnel involved in gross misconduct and electoral fraud, especially the involvement of police officers in the reported incident in Orumba North LGA should be investigated and prosecuted.
In deepening democracy and building confidence in the democratic process, Yiaga Africa called on the National Assembly to without further delay, conclude the amendment to the Electoral Act and transmit the electoral bill to the President for assent.
Yiaga Africa therefore called on the people of Anambra to be peaceful and reject any calls for violence as INEC prepares to conduct a supplementary election in Ihiala on Tuesday, November 9.
