The Director General of the Atiku/Mutfwang Youth Campaign Council in Plateau State, Hitler Pwajok, has called for the immediate redeployment of some INEC ICT experts, who he claimed were working with the APC governorship candidate in the state, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, said to be a former Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youth Campaign Council, on Wednesday, protested against an alleged plot by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the state to rig the forthcoming polls in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Addressing a press conference in Jos, Pwajok stated that the transfer of the said expert from Benue State to the Plateau State INEC office begged many questions.
He said, “Was there an officially approved interstate transfer of staff by the commission’s headquarters? If there was, why will INEC be insensitive to redeploy staff of the commission from Benue State to Plateau State, particularly those who served under Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, the APC governorship candidate of Plateau State?
“Why should Umar Muhammad be deployed to supervise the ICT department of the commission in Plateau State, where his immediate past boss, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, is on the ballot? The same Umar Muhammad, who is alleged to be a close ally of the APC governorship candidate. We consider this sudden deployment by INEC as premeditated and believe it can compromise the integrity and credibility of the electoral process in Plateau State.
“Considering these concerns, we hereby demand and call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to immediately redeploy Umar Muhammad and others who were hurriedly deployed to Plateau, to be immediately redeployed out of the state to redeem itself as a neutral and unbiased umpire.”
But when contacted by our correspondent, INEC Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity in Plateau State, Egwurube Otokpa, declined to speak on the issue.