By Taiwo Adebowale
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Cross River State, has denied allegations that the truckload of ballot papers discovered in the state were sold by them.
Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Frankland Briyai, said the commission did not sell ballot papers to anybody or group in the state.
According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Briyai on Thursday reacted to the impounding of a truck with INEC materials and some ballot papers.
The REC said sometime last year, they had a lot of obsolete materials and someone came and bought them off, adding that ballot papers were not included in the sale.
He explained that the truck carrying the obsolete materials was stopped at a security check point in Ogoja area of the state.
He added that further checks revealed that the truck had some obsolete INEC materials and 2015 ballot papers, so the security officials raised alarm.
He said the commission would investigate the matter and apply appropriate measure on those found culpable as the commission does not sell ballot papers even if they were old.
”I got a call from some security operatives that they impounded a truck at Ogoja with some useless papers and 2015 ballot papers.
”First, I asked the lady in charge of ballot if she knows anything about ballot papers going out and she said no.
”I have notified the security agencies including the police and Department of State Security. I don’t know what they will find out and I have also alerted my headquarters,” he said.
However, this is a terrible development as Nigeria’s main opposition group, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has raised alarm earlier, alleging that INEC was colluding with the party in government, All Progressives Congress (APC), to rig the forthcoming general elections.
As at the time of going to press, the national office of INEC had not responded to the new discovery.
