Our operations are guided by Electoral Act Not political parties– INEC

The Election Act, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), governs how elections are conducted, not political parties.

In an interview with Newsmen in Calabar, Prof. Gabriel Yomere, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Cross River, disclosed this.

Yomere was responding to requests from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to pre-sign the election result sheets for the state Houses of Assembly and gubernatorial elections on Saturday.

SDP had argued that the measure would help in checking and preventing irregularities during the election.

“Asking INEC to sign result sheets of an election that is yet to be conducted is laughable and uncalled for.

“I see this as an expression of fear on the part of the political party that is making such a demand.

“Why not intensify your campaigns by going house-to-house ahead of the contest instead of staying behind to dictate to INEC to do your bidding.

“INEC is not under any obligation to act according to the dictates of any political party but will operate according to guidelines for the conduct of elections,” he said.

The SDP in a letter had urged INEC to sign the result sheets ahead of the elections.

The party in the letter signed by its chairman in Cross River, Dr Ekpeyong Ambo, said the move would reassure the stakeholders that the umpire would not compromise the results.

Ambo stated that signing the result sheets would clear the suspicion by some political parties in the state that results of March 18 elections were already in the hands of a particular political party.

“Signing the election result sheets will put to rest the suspicion and rumour  peddled in some quarters that result of the forthcoming March 18  elections may have been compromised by the electoral umpire,” Ambo said.