A leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Oyo state, Alhaji Adebisi Olopoenia has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state not to cause mayhem in Saturday based on allegation that the agency created new polling units which, he said, are unknown to all political parties in the state, except the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Olopoenia stated this in Ibadan on Wednesday in a telephone interview on the party’s preparation for Saturday election.
He said INEC needs to come out clear on this allegation that it has created new polling units in their record without physical presence.
According to him, “INEC must come out clear on the allegation that it has created new polling units across the 33 local government and Local Council Development Agency (LCDA) in the state. From information available to me have it that these new polling units were created to favour the ruling party.
“Until now, I have held in high esteem the words of the Residential Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Mutiu Agboke that all parties will be given fair treatment towards the polls. But things seems not going that way with the development.
“Example of this claim is a local government in Ibadan, Ibadan North local government where I have it on authoritative that eight new polling units have been created in ward four. In 2015, that polling unit, Apanpa had just one polling unit, now, according to information it has eight polling units, with the name Apampa Primary School, a school which never existed in real life.
“Also, I learnt that number of electorates, which I considered to be ‘ghost’ are more than what we have in normal polling units. These new units only exists on paper and not in reality and to cap it all, only APC is aware of these new polling unit across the state.
“INEC should come out and clarify it. All hands must be on deck to have a peaceful, free and fair election on Saturday,” Olopoenia stated.
