…“We give INEC pass mark” – PDP
…“INEC did not allow us access to Serial No.” – NNPP
by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Just hours to the D-Day, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Kaduna State, and its New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) counterpart, have gone opposite directions over conduct of INEC towards election sensitive materials distribution in Kaduna State.
While the former (PDP) expressed satisfaction over method of election sensitive materials distribution to local governments by the Commission as “good for the first time in history of the state,” NNPP (on the other hand) queried INEC for not disclosing the Serial Number of the materials to political party officials.
The PDP State returning officer, Comrade Danjuma B. Sariki, and the NNPP chairman, Nuhu Audu, made the remarks in separate interviews during the flag-off distribution of sensitive election materials in Kaduna.
While the State returning officer of PDP gave INEC a pass mark on the distribution of election materials on behalf of his party, the NNPP state chairman said he only saw packages of ballot papers brought for election and the rest, but could not access the serial number.
“So far so good, we’ve given INEC a pass mark on the distribution of election materials, even though, where government plans to rig election is not at the distribution stage but in other stages of the election.
“So, we can say that INEC has done well and we will continue to monitor them closely so that this election can be the most free and fairest ever conducted in the country, so that the outcome will not only be acceptable but such that everybody will be happy,” Comrade Danjuma Bello Sariki has said.
The NNPP chairman, Kaduna State, said “There are packages of ballot papers and the rest. But why I’m a bit worried is that when voting materials like this are being brought for elections, serial numbers of such documents are usually accessed by all political parties, to avoid doubt in the process.
“They are displayed, local government by local government, which I don’t query, but the contents and serial numbers of ballot papers or documents going to which LGAs is what I’m quarreling about.
“I only came and saw packages. I asked it, but they were aloof when I asked. I’m not suspecting any foul play, but I should access the documents; by that, it builds in confidence in me that, transparency is there,” NNPP chairman said.
