- PDP officials conniving with INEC to save their face—Labour Party Chairman
The Delta State Police Command has uncovered plot by some officials of the state chapter of the Labour party to tender fake election results sheets in court.
A certified true copy of the police report addressed to the commissioner of police and signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Hafiz M. Inuwa, stated that a premafacie case of forgery and falsification has been established.
The State Police Command says it has arrested and detained some officials of the Party for being in possession of sensitive electoral documents of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in relation to the just concluded governorship election in the state.
The Police report revealed that those arrested are top members of LP who are alleged to have stolen INEC electoral materials for the 2015 general election.
Among those interrogated in connection with the incident are Chief Tony Ezeagwu , who is the Delta State Labour Party Chairman and Onodawerho Esiri , the prime suspects in the report.
According to the police report with reference number CR3000/DTS/SD3/VOL/3/230, and dated 25th June, 2015, the police acting on a tip-off swooped on a popular hotel located in the metropolis of Asaba, the Delta State capital and found the suspects in possession of INEC original copies of results relating to the just concluded governorship election in the state.
The report listed the items recovered to include; “47 completed copies of original result sheet, otherwise known as form EC8A, for the governorship election held in parts of Warri South; 16 completed copies of original result sheets, otherwise known as form EC8A(1), for House of Assembly held in parts of Warri South; 7 completed copies of original result sheets , otherwise known as form EC8 for governorship election held in parts of Ugheli North”.
The report further stated that “the recovered and identified result sheets are sensitive materials that should not be found outside the custody of INEC or officials of INEC and that the person that stole the result sheet is the person that stands to gain advantage at the Electoral Petition Tribunal if INEC could not produce the result sheets when the tribunal demands for it”
Other items removed also include, “5 completed copies of original result sheet , otherwise known as form EC8A(1), for House of Assembly election held in Ugheli North and one copy of original form EC8B(1) for summary of results from polling units in Warri South. Also recovered were 149 original copies of polling unit material receipt forms, otherwise known as form EC25B; 139 copies of forged forms EC25B among others”.
The report indicates that two staff of INEC allegedly conniving with the agents of the Labour Party were interrogated , adding that “following the discovery of the exhibits , INEC did a stock taking of its strong room and discovered that a total of 117 results sheets for governorship election and 20 house of Assembly election are missing from their strong room”.
The police have concluded plans to charge the suspects to court for conspiracy to steal, forge and receive stolen INEC property.
But State Labour Party Chairman, Tony Ezeagwu, said the case was charged to court in June following arrest of some Labour Party youths in connection with the INEC materials.
He said “they have charged the boys to court and I was invited by the police and I told them I didn’t send the boy. The boy was caught in Dema Kitchen. I have no business with them. The boy said they planted the documents in his room. That was in June and the case had been charged to court then”.
He added that the state PDP members are trying to connive with Delta INEC officials to cover up the case against them, hence they are re-opening the case again as the tribunal is sitting and evidences are being presented.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Celestina Kalu, said yes, some Labour Party members were invited for interrogation in connection with the incident, with some INEC officials, adding that the INEC officials have been charged to court.
