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By Festus Ahon,ASABA

LEAGUE of Professionals for Strategic Advocacy has frowned at the alleged movement of Party agent tags for the September 11, 2021, Isoko South constituency I by-election from the Delta State headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC in Asaba to Oleh in Isoko South, describing it as a ploy to rig the election.

The group, in a statement by its Convener, Prince Obaro Unuafe; Chairman, Pius Mordi and Secretary, Fred Akpewe described the conduct of INEC officials as unwholesome and capable of breaching the peace ahead of the poll.

The group argued that party agent tags were traditionally collected by State Chairmen or their agents from State INEC headquarters in Asaba and not at the local government areas.

“A situation where the agent tags of political parties will be moved from the state INEC headquarters in Asaba by the E.O for Isoko South is not only suspicious but also suggests an attempt to rig”, the statement said. 

The statement urged the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Mr Monday Udoh-Tom

to immediately return the agent tags to the state chairmen of the parties if it had not already done so to further avoid acts capable of putting the by-election in jeopardy.

“INEC must not be a cog in the wheel of progress. It must shun acts inimical to best practices during elections. Anything to the contrary is a recipe for chaos”, the group warned.

Vanguard News Nigeria