The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called for thorough investigation of the production of fake result sheets in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The legislative rerun elections in the state have been fixed for December 10.
Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi said yesterday: “The commission has heard the news about the arrest of nine people with fake result sheets in Port Harcourt.
“INEC wants to appeal to security agencies that the culprits should not just be arrested, they and their sponsors should be prosecuted.”
It was reported that the police in Rivers had arrested a syndicate involved in the printing of fake result sheets purportedly to be used in the rescheduled rerun elections.
The report added that the director and personnel of the printing press, Help-Mate Consult, in Port Harcourt, allegedly involved in the printing of the fake result sheets were arrested by the police.
Oyekanmi said INEC had no relationship with the printing press and its arrested director on the production of the fake results sheet.
He denied the allegation that the production of the fake election result sheets was with the connivance with INEC and a political party to rig the December 10 election.
“INEC will never connive with any political party to do such a thing to destroy the credibility of our elections.
“Our system is too strict and complex for anybody to successfully do such a thing. It is not easy to break into the process,” he said.
He, however, said that the commission, having successfully conducted elections in Edo and other places, would do what it could to make the election free, fair and credible in Rivers.
INEC had last week announced the plan to conclude the pending re-run election in Rivers on the December 10.
THISDAY
