The Ogun State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide maximum security for its staff and election materials, especially the ballot papers from the recently concluded general elections in the state. In a statement issued on Sunday in Abeokuta, the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Tunde Oladunjoye, emphasized the need for “watertight security” for INEC offices, officers, and election materials across Ogun State.
Oladunjoye cited the recent invasion of the state’s INEC headquarters by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, who lost the March 18, 2023 election. He argued that such incidents make it imperative for INEC, relevant statutory bodies, and security agencies to ensure that nothing untoward happens to the election materials, particularly the ballot papers in INEC’s possession. Oladunjoye questioned, “Where in the world has it been reported that a loser at an election, along with hundreds of hired people, marched on the office of the electoral umpire purportedly ‘to submit a letter,’ as we saw in Abeokuta last week?” He added that Adebutu not only led thugs to INEC to “submit a letter” but also demanded that INEC officers address his crowd and respond to the alleged letter.
In response, PDP Publicity Secretary Bankole Akinloye dismissed the allegation as “empty noise.” Akinloye claimed the APC and Oladunjoye were being “clever by half,” asserting that the PDP is known for peace rather than destructive tendencies and does not need to invade INEC offices to tamper with electoral materials. He said the PDP has demonstrated to the people that it won the election and intends to use the judiciary to prove its case, adding that “the cry does not hold water and INEC knows what to do.”
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