Our operations are guided by Electoral Act – INEC

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), its operations are governed by the Electoral Act rather than political parties.

Prof. Gabriel Yomere, Cross River Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), stated this in Calabar during an interview with Newsmen.

Yomere was responding to the Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) call to pre-sign election result sheets for Saturday’s governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.

The SDP argued that the measure would aid in the detection and prevention of irregularities during the election.

“Asking INEC to sign result sheets of an election that is yet to be conducted is laughable and uncalled for.

“I see this as an expression of fear on the part of the political party making such a demand.

“Why not intensify your campaigns by going house-to-house ahead of the contest instead of staying behind to dictate to INEC to do your bidding.

“INEC is under no obligation to act in accordance with the dictates of any political party, but will operate in accordance with election guidelines,” he said.

In a letter, the SDP urged INEC to sign the result sheets before the elections.

The letter, signed by the party’s chairman in Cross River, Dr Ekpeyong Ambo, stated that the move would reassure stakeholders that the umpire would not jeopardize the results.

Ambo stated that signing the result sheets would dispel the suspicion held by some political parties in the state that the results of the March 18 elections were already in the hands of one political party.

“Signing the election result sheets will put to rest the suspicion and rumour that the outcome of the upcoming March 18 elections may have been compromised by the electoral umpire,” Ambo said.

(TNT)