Edo: PDP kicks over deployment of officials

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo said at the weekend it was in the dark over the identities of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who would conduct Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Chris Nehikhare, the PDP said it had written a letter to the electoral body, requesting a meeting between its officials and those of the commission.
The party alleged it was aware that accredited officials of the commission had already met with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and that the party members had been granted remote access to INEC servers and e-collation platforms.
The letter to INEC, “formally requested for a meeting with staff (Local Government Collation Officers, Returning Officer for the State, Staff in charge of card readers, E-Collation Officers and members of the ICT team) of INEC assigned to the state to conduct the elections in Edo State.
“You will be aware that as at September 4, (five days before the election), names and identities of these staff have not been made public.
“Information available to us is that INEC has granted requests by the APC for a similar meeting with the above-mentioned staff…
“We believe that such a meeting will avail us the opportunity to lay our complaints and information available to us before INEC in detail.”