Journalists in Anambra lack INEC tag 48 hours to polls
Maduako Igbokwe I Thursday, February 23, 2023
AWKA, Nigeria – Anambra State Resident Electoral Commission REC, Dr Queen Elizabeth Agwu on Thursday ignored the party chairmen and journalists who were at the Central Bank of Nigeria to observe the arrival and departure of election materials.
The party chairmen who were spotted around 8 pm at the CBN expressed disappointment over how INEC loaded voting materials to trucks without them having the serial Numbers of those materials.
Speaking to reporters ,the Peoples’ Democratic Party PDP Anambra state chairman Mr Ndubisi Nwobu said it was very disappointing that INEC did not give them the details of serial number of the material before loading.
According to him, the party agents would have loved to know the details of the voting materials before leaving CBN for local government council so that they can communicate their party officials to cross check them when they arrive.
“We want to believe that the materials will not leave this night. We are hoping that by tomorrow morning, INEC will avail them of the serial number of the materials before leaving CBN” he stated.
He however said they saw some of the INEC officials, though it appeared they were very busy, noting that it is their hope the materials will not leave this night.
“We are hoping that tomorrow morning before the materials leave CBN, INEC officials will avail us with the serial numbers to various local government councils. It is already 8 pm” he said .
Also speaking to reporter ,the Anambra state chairman of Young Progressive Party YPP Prince Moses Obi , said they were surprised that the INEC could ignore them in loading the voting materials in the state.
“We are here to inspect the arrival and the leaving of INEC voting materials from the CBN for the Saturday elections. I’am not happy by the process they adopted and I hope the materials will not leave this night. INEC needs to avail us of the details of the serial numbers of materials to local government councils” he said .
He also expressed hope that the materials will not leave this night at least for the insecurity in the state. Obi said that they are waiting to see what happens , noting that it would be wise for the INEC to brief them on the details of the materials serial numbers before the departure of the trucks.
” I’am not happy, they said we should come here by 9am till now 8 pm, they have not been able to avail us of the details. Nobody has been able tell us anything. The REC even told us that after the 9 am she will meet with the party chairmen. We learnt she came around 5pm and started loading. We hope to see the details of materials in the morning before leaving CBN” he said .
Meanwhile, our medium and other media Houses that went there to cover the distribution of the materials were ignored by the REC. Our correspondent had gone there to find out how prepared INEC is to conduct election in the insecurity prone areas in the state ,but was not giving attention. The REC had promised to talk to our correspondent, when he decline to comment on phone.
At about 8. 30 pm when the correspondent left ,the REC did not show up even she claimed to be within CBN. However, our finding revealed that the REC left the CBN, keeping journalists waiting.
Meanwhile, there were ais confusion over INEC tag as no journalists in the state knows whether he/she can get tag to cover the 2023 elections. By the time of filling this report at about 9 pm on Thursday, no reporter in Anambra has any information on the INEC tags as no body is ready to address the issue.
