The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of barring its polling agents from the Ebonyi South by-election on Saturday.
A chieftain of the party, Chief Nwaeze Onu, speaking to newsmen on Saturday said the party does not have a single agent in all polling units across the senatorial district, having uploaded the agent list on the INEC system for accreditation.
Onu said that the state NNPP chairman was at the INEC office in Abakaliki up till 9 p.m. on Friday but was told that there was no identification card for the party, adding that the party has been disfranchised from participating in the election.
“We would not relent but it should be noted that we have been disfranchised from participating in the election. We cannot be on the booth when not accredited and will continue protesting this unfortunate development.”
“INEC should realize that when someone is stopped from participating in an election, it is a breach of the electoral act,” he said.
INEC, however, through the state’s Head of Voter Education and Publicity Department, Dr Christian Elekwa denied the allegation, revealing that the uploading of the party agents list was not done in the states but at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
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