PDP

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

Edo state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has rejected​ the list of ad-hoc staff released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for the conduct of the February 16, 2019, Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The rejection was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the party’s publicity secretary, Chris Nehikhare.

He alleged that APC members were on the list of INEC and was compiled in the state government house.

It said; “The directive was very clear and explicit. University Vice-Chancellors were asked to provide a list of its members of staff who would be used as ad-hoc staff.

“In Edo State, INEC has been handed a list of APC card-carrying members and operatives as University of Benin staff by the Vice Chancellor. The list we are informed was written in government house Benin and handed over to the VC for transmission to INEC.

“This purported INEC ad-hoc staff list must be completely discarded as it is a recipe for chaos and poses a great danger to our nascent democracy. We reject it and condemn the politicalisation of the ’employment’ of APC members as ad-hoc staff to manage the election process.”

The party therefore called​ on the Vice Chancellor of UNIBEN not to allow himself to be used.

The PDP said the VC must do the right thing by withdrawing the scandalous list he was prevailed upon to submit, and hand over one made up of genuine staff of University of Benin.

“The forth coming election must not only be free, fair and transparent, it must be seen to be so,” the statement said.