Recovered Card Readers In Akwa Ibom: INEC’s Reaction Is Laughable – APC

The Akwa Ibom State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission in the state of working desperately to frustrate police

investigation into the theft of four card readers used during the last general elections.

The state chairman of the party, Mr. Ini Okopodi who at a press conference in Uyo described the commission’s reaction to the discovery of four card readers with one of its staff as laughable, urged the police to get to the root of the issue.

An ICT staff with the Independent National Electoral Commission in the state, one Mr. Ejike Nwankwo was last week arrested by police operatives for allegedly being in possession of four card readers.

However, INEC through its Public Affairs Officer, Don Etukudoh, had, in a statement  last Wednesday explained that the staff was wrongly arrested given that the four card readers found in his vehicle were empty ones used for the training of Ad hoc staff by the officer ahead of the

elections.

“The four card readers do not have data in them that could have influenced or affected the process or outcome of the elections”

According to him, the suspect was incapacitated after the polls and could not return the card readers because of the illness and instead left them in his car, which was taken to the mechanic by his brother-in-law while he was in the hospital.

But Okopido insisted that the card readers found with Mr. Nwankwo were some of the pre-loaded card readers used in rigging the elections in favour of the PDP and Udom Emmanuel.

He said “We called you to update you on the recent arrest by the police of an INEC staff for illegal possession of some card readers used in the last elections. 

“As you are aware, earlier this week the Akwa Ibom State police command paraded a staff of INEC, Mr. Ejike Nwankwo, who was arrested with four card readers in the trunk of his car.

“These card readers, we understand, were some of those used during the last General Elections. The police have announced that they are still investigating the matter.

“First, we wish to thank the police for their diligence and hard work in making this arrest which has undoubtedly brought to the fore dubious machinations of INEC under Mike Igini, the REC.

“We believe that the card readers found with Mr. Nwankwo were some of those pre-loaded card readers used in rigging the elections in favour of the PDP and Udom Emmanuel.

“We have read the press release issued by INEC in Uyo, desperately trying to explain the illegal possession of these devices by their staff. Their explanation is laughable, ridiculous and full of lies.

“INEC claims that Ejike Nwankwo used the card readers to train the ad-hoc staffs before the election. INEC says that the said Mr. Nwakwo fell ill after the elections.

“So what were the card readers doing with him throughout the elections till he fell ill? Why did he not call his colleagues in the IT Department to meet him and retrieve these devices? And after he had recovered from the illness, what was he still doing with those card readers?

“The lies told by INEC are too glaring. We request Akwa Ibom people to discountenance these fabricated tissues of lies by INEC; and we request the police to get to the bottom of this stranger-than-fiction drama”.

 And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG