Pandemonium was averted yesterday at the national collation centre of the presidential election, as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) practically stopped the continuation of the collation process for close to 20 minutes over allegations of partisanship against the INEC chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega.
However the calm disposition of Jega inspite of the allegations contributed to containing the situation.
Barely minutes after the INEC chairman settled in to commence collation, apologising for commencing late which was due to logistics issues, former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, and the agent of the PDP, accused the INEC chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega of being “very partisan” and compromised.
In an unprecedented display of revolt, Orubebe, accused Jega of refusing to address PDP’s petition for election to be cancelled in seven states whereas the INEC chairman had sent a team of national commissioners to investigate the calls by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the cancellation of presidential election in Rivers State.
The former minister also accused the INEC chairman of giving the results of the elections to APC, as was released by APC office.
He said the PDP had filed a petition on the conduct of presidential elections in Jigawa, Kaduna, Gombe, Katsina, Kogi, Kano and Bauchi states.
Orubebe who threw caution to the wind, described Jega as being “very partisan” and “compromised” adding “we have lost confidence in you because you are partisan.”
“You have compromised. Until something is done to our letters the way you did to the APC petition.”
Appeals for him to allow the INEC chairman respond fuelled Orubebe’s ranting, as he shouted at security agencies and other party agents who attempted to calm him down and allow Jega respond.
The former minister who had now left his seat and sat in front of the high table, shouted “this thing cannot continue. If he wants to continue I will come back here.”
Several attempts to appeal to Orubebe to allow the INEC chairman react further fuel his outbursts, as he said Jega would have to address the matter in his office like he did for the APC.
“You are tribalistic. We will not take it. Until something is done. Jega has to look into our petition otherwise we won’t take it.”
“He cannot reply here. We complained to him in his office he did not answer us. He even threw the paper at us,” Orubebe alleged.
While security agencies at the premises looked on helpless as the former minister held on to the microphone and refused to allow the INEC chairman speak, other agents and international observers at the venue made comments like “this action by PDP is very shameful”.
However, the intervention of Col. Bello Fadile, another PDP agent at the centre calmed the situation as he urged the INEC chairman to respond to the issues raised.
Video Credits: Silverbird Television
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