ONDO INEC OFFICE FIRE: PDP raises posers, demands full report of cause

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo has expressed disappointment over the fire incident at the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) head office in the state.

The party said it received the news of the fire incident which happened on Thursday evening with “great disappointment”.

In a statement on Friday by the state publicity secretary of the PDP, Kennedy Peretei, the opposition party raised the following posers:

“Is INEC saying it does not have an internal mechanism to curtail fire outbreak in her office? Is the metal container containing the over 5000 card reader machines connected to electricity? If so, was the electricity supply not put off after the official close of work at 05.00pm? Where were the security officers on duty at the time the fire started? Why was it that fire engulfed a container housing over 5000 card reader machines within few minutes?”

Insisting that it was important that INEC provide answers to those questions, Peretei said the PDP cannot afford to go into an election in the next 30 days with what a “compromised system”.

READ ALSO: Fire incident at Ondo headquarters a set back —INEC

He said, “The PDP noted the comment of INEC that the October 10 election won’t be affected by this development, but this is not enough from a commission whose existence is being funded by taxpayers’ money.”

The party, therefore, called for a full report of the cause(s) of the fire, stressing that no excuse would be accepted from INEC should there b any complaint of non-functionality of card reader machines during the forthcoming election.

“We want to believe that INEC will come to equity with clean hands and play the role of an unbiased umpire during and after the election.

“Or how do we explain a scenario where fire razed over 5000 card reader machines just 30 days to the governorship election?” Peretei said.

Ondo State governorship election is fixed to hold on October 10.

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