By Daniel Edu
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised objections to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for relocating the collation of election results from Nembe and Southern Ijaw Local Government of Bayelsa to Yenagoa.
Felix Morka, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, expressed concerns in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, asserting that the votes from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) strongholds are being collated within the Local Government Areas, unlike those of the APC.
Morka urged INEC to adhere to the law and refrain from collating Nembe and Southern Ijaw votes in Yenagoa but rather at their respective LGAs as mandated by law.
The statement reads, “BAYELSA GUBER POLLS – INEC, uphold the law, collate Nembe, Southern Ijaw votes in Nembe and Southern Ijaw, not Yenagoa.
“The All Progressives Congress (APC) strongly condemns what has emerged as a stark and disturbing pattern of moving collation of votes in the Party’s Local Government strongholds to Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital. We now have confirmed reports that the collation of votes in Nembe and Southern IJAW Local Government Areas has been moved to Yenagoa.
“In direct contrast, votes in Peoples Democratic Party’s strongholds are being diligently collated on location in the Local Government Areas.
“What exactly is the reason for this selective evacuation of votes from APC strongholds for collation in Yenagoa? This is unacceptable and highly suspect. While we hesitate to accuse INEC of colluding with the PDP to subvert the legitimate votes of the people in APC strongholds in favour of the PDP, we strongly object to this disturbing development that will cast a long shadow over the credibility of the Bayelsa guber polls.
“INEC is under duty to act in accordance with the law that stipulates that votes shall be collated in the respective local government areas before state collation at the state capital.
“We urge INEC to reverse itself on this unlawful move and collate all results in the respective Local Government Areas as stipulated by law.”
