The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Dame Gesila Khan, have disagreed on political activities and the REC’s detention.
APC, through the Secretary of its Media and Publicity Committee, Godstime Orlukwu, yesterday in Port Harcourt, declared that Dame Khan was a victim of her devices.
The party noted that the REC’s claim that she was detained by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) for two weeks was the figment of her imagination.
But the REC insisted that she and other INEC officials were putting in their best and not taking sides.
She expressed surprise at her alleged arrest and detention by the DSS.
The party said: “The APC believes the DSS that Dame Khan was never detained. Rather, the DSS invited her for questioning, having been convinced that her actions and deliberate inactions constituted a serious threat to the security of Rivers State and, by extension, that of the country.
“Dame Khan’s decision to be evasive, in order not to release the materials used in the last elections to the APC and to avoid complying with the tribunal’s orders on inspection of electoral materials, were deemed to be grave, capable of negatively affecting the peace, tranquillity and security of the state and nation.
“She was making one excuse or the other to avoid complying with the orders of the tribunal.
“The APC will like to challenge Dame Khan to show evidence that she was detained overnight by the DSS, let alone two weeks, as she is claiming.
“If Dame Khan complied with the law, why should INEC’s national headquarters in Abuja send a task force to Rivers State to deliver the materials, as ordered by the tribunal?”
APC said it was convinced that the REC’s latest assertions were aimed at currying public sympathy and drawing attention away from her alleged deceit before, during and after the March 28 and April 11 general election.
The party added that such antics would not exonerate the REC, an indigene of Bayelsa State, and her cohorts from their electoral sins in Rivers State.
Dame Khan said during the presidential election, three national commissioners were in the state; same during the governorship poll.
The REC said three INEC’s administrative secretaries are currently in the state.
She noted that the presence of the administrative secretaries was meant to fast-track the sorting of the electoral materials used in the last general elections, as ordered by the tribunal.
Dame Khan added that the requests were time-bound and the materials voluminous.
She said: “We have been working since. Today (yesterday), it is either this document or another. Some they want in long hand, while some they want it in short hand. So, the law says when they request, you give them, and since the time is very short, we have to.
“The head office (INEC in Abuja) decided to draft three administrative secretaries as support so that we can meet up with the time. I think you have seen them. We should conclude this exercise (inspection of election materials) before the tribunals’ sittings comes to an end.
“We are human beings, and if you are told to produce 1,000 copies today, you will produce it. Even machines break down, not to talk of man. So, we are going to put in our best. That is what you have seen there (INEC headquarters in Port Harcourt).”
On her rumoured transfer from Rivers State, the REC said: “I am here and I am still here. I have not been transferred. If I have been transferred, I should not be sitting here. I should be picking my things.
“Even if I have been transferred, there is nothing wrong with that, because it is government work and anytime you are called to move, you must move. But for now, I have not been called to move.”
When asked by reporters on if she had any regrets working as INEC’s REC in Rivers state, she said: “No regret whatsoever. I am a Human Resources practitioner. So, anything you see in life, you move along with it. You cannot predict man. They are free to think and say what they want.”
