Group petitions Jega, demands re-deployment of Plateau REC

In a petition signed by its chairman Kargwak Francis Zittas and addressed to the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Attahiru Jega, the group alleged that the REC “in cohorts with the state governor has replaced all the earlier trained ad-hoc staff with those made available to him by the state government.”The […]

In a petition signed by its chairman Kargwak Francis Zittas and addressed to the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Attahiru Jega, the group alleged that the REC “in cohorts with the state governor has replaced all the earlier trained ad-hoc staff with those made available to him by the state government.”
The group alleged further that, “the REC has also ordered all local government heads of INEC to forthwith give all unclaimed Permanent Voters Card (PVCs) to PDP councillors in the guise of them issuing it to their constituents.”
The petition, which was copied to the state Commissioner of Police and the director of the Department of State Security (DSS), demanded the immediate re-deployment of the REC and all the heads of department in the state office.
Reacting, director of press and publicity to the state governor, James Manok said, “That is the fiction of their imagination, because we remain respecter of democratic process.”
On his part, INEC deputy director, Voter Education and Publicity in the state, Osaretin Imahiyereobo, said they were not aware of the petition.
He said: “The ad-hoc staff had been trained before the rescheduled election of February 14 and they were retrained. I am not aware of any change or of the alleged list from the governor or anyone. For the issue of unclaimed PVCs, it is an offence to hand over PVC to any person. Even the governor got his some days ago. It is not done. You don’t hand over PVCs to individuals.”
Imahiyereobo added the REC met all the management team and has not made any change, saying “every decision is taken by management. I am one of the head from Edo State; our Auditor is from Yobe.”