Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
A socio-political organisation in Kwara State, Kwara Advancement Initiative, has raised the alarm that sensitive election materials meant for presidential and National Assembly elections in the state last Saturday and left for safekeeping at the CBN have been tampered with.
The group, in a statement signed by its leader, Kamaldeen Olanrewaju, and made available to journalists in Ilorin on Monday, said that sensitive materials like ballot papers, result sheets, and card readers that were transported to Kwara for the elections had allegedly been tampered with by some INEC officials in connivance with some leaders of one of the main political parties in the state.
The statement, which called attention of the media, observers, civil society groups and the general public to the allegations, also called on security agencies in the state, particularly the police, to urgently conduct an investigation into the matter and ensure that justice is done.
“Kwarans should also be alert and resist attempts by any political party and the electoral body to manipulate elections in the state. We want free, fair and credible elections in Kwara,” he said.
In his reaction, the INEC director of voter education and enlightenment in the state, Jacob Ayanda, said that the report was not true.
Ayanda, who said that every process of the election had been done in the full glare of members of the public, political parties and the media, added that these stakeholders were there when the electoral body returned the election materials to the CBN.
He said that ballot papers had not been opened because the electoral process had not got to level of them being opened. He said election materials were retrieved from the local government areas immediately after the postponement of the elections last Saturday.