Protest as PDP insists on joining election petitioners on inspection of voting materials

MAJOR roads in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, were locked to traffic for hours Monday as Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, faithful stormed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Rivers office, insisting on joining inspection of voting materials by parties set to file petitions against results of the March 18 elections in the state.

The teeming protesters also demanded INEC release Certified True Copies (CTC) of electoral materials used in both the February 25 and March 18, 2023 elections in Rivers State to the PDP to enable the party to defend its victory at the tribunal.

Samuel Nwanosike, Ikwerre Local Government Chairman and one of the leaders of the protest said it was within the rights of the PDP to get the documents it required to defend the mandates it secured during the concluded elections.

The development follows INEC’s presentation of Certificates of Return to Rivers Governor-Elect, Sir Siminialaye Fubara, and others in Rivers, provoking Tonye Cole, Governorship candidate of the APC to lead supporters to the INEC Office in protest over the non-release of needed documents to the APC legal team as they perfect petitions.

Cole has accused INEC of frustrating the efforts of lawyers engaged by APC to access vital documents needed to challenge the victory of PDP at the election tribunal.

The protesters displayed placards, screaming, “No one party should be allowed to inspect materials alone,”, “Police and INEC want to instigate crisis in the state,”, and “We want Certified True Copies CTCs, to defend our mandates,” among others.