Only INEC has power to relocate polling units, Oyo PDP tells APC

Forum 1 year ago

Only INEC has power to relocate polling units, Oyo PDP tells APC

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) against making baseless and frivolous allegations against Governor Seyi Makinde to remain relevant in political events ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The PDP said that only the INEC had the constitutional right and power to relocate or transfer polling unit(s) not Makinde or any elected public office holder for that matter.

The party, therefore, warned that raising false alarm, spreading lies and mischiefs as political tools during political campaign season is old fashion as the people have become more politically conscious and sophisticated to be swayed by cheap propaganda.

In a statement by its spokesman, Akeem Olatunji, the PDP debunked any interference or connivance with INEC on any of its works, stressing that the APC in Oyo State was acting merely out of desperation by representing the PDP in such distasteful light.

According to the Oyo State PDP, the entire content of the said allegation by the APC was laughable, describing it an example of a dog claiming to have a territory in a kingdom controlled by a lion, adding: “You know it is either such dog was high on something or taking itself to the lion as a meal.”

It said that INEC, in its wisdom to improve on the nation’s electoral system, created no fewer than 56,872 new polling units across the country in 2021, taking the total number of polling units in the country to 176,974.

The party added that prior to the recently-held governorship election in Osun State, the INEC announced and relocated some polling units to deepen the credibility of the process in its wisdom, adding that INEC had also relocated some polling units from churches, mosques, palaces and other areas for several reasons.

It, therefore, described the APC’s allegation as mere blackmail aimed at portraying INEC, the ruling party and the governor in bad light, stressing that a political party that tells brazen lies unremorsefully to get to power will boldly tell more and worse lies to retain power.

It said that the opposition party still grapples with the reality of its rejection by Nigerians at all levels.