…The Commission denies the claim

Eze Chukwuemeka, an ally of former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi, accused the Independent National Election Commission of listing some hotels allegedly owned by members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party as Registration Area Centers in Port Harcourt.

Eze, leader of the All Progressives Congress, said the INEC’s enlistment of hotels as RACs in Port Harcourt City for the storage of sensitive materials and the collection of unit results in the 2023 general election was highly unfortunate and regrettable. .

Eze said this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday and made available to journalists.

He said a look at the list of area checkpoints h and Registration Area Centers for Port Harcourt City LGA published by INEC reveals that “Landmark Hotels owned by Senator Olaka Nwogu, former federal legislator and ally of Governor Nyesom Wike and Visa Karena Hotel, owned by Chief Sergeant Awuse, another PDP chief and Wike henchman, presented as RAC for Orominieke and Oroworukwo communities respectively.

The statement read: “Others are White Palace Hotel, Bebec Hotel, Hotel Dance, Comfort Hotel, White House Hotel, Maas Central Hotel, Danny T. Hotel, Orange Sea Hotel, Stanza Guest House, Thaland Place, Mainland Hotel, Ilo Garden Hotel . , Mina Hotel, Otunkwe Guest House and Rachael Hotel.

“Ownership or management of the aforementioned hotels is directly or indirectly linked to the PDP and Governor Wike, therefore shortlisting them as RAC for the 2023 elections will undermine the status of INEC and as an impartial arbitrator and jeopardize the reputation built for the commission. Through the years.”

Eze, a former spokesperson for the defunct new PDP (n-PDP) urged INEC to rescind and withdraw its approval of PDP member-owned properties for use as Registration Area Centers and return to public or community school use. hallways as is the case in other Local Government Areas.

He added: “The same purpose for which the private properties mentioned above were approved can be served by government schools and councils in the area, such as Oroworukwo town hall, RumuWoji town hall, State school, Elekahia, State school, Orominieke , Ogbumnuabali Town Hall, etc.”.

However, he expressed confidence that INEC and its officials will remain neutral in carrying out the commission’s responsibilities.

Eze reminded commission officials that INEC was aware of the world and should be brave to do the right thing at all times.

He said they should provide a level playing field, secure the commission’s image and protect the country’s fledgling democracy.

When contacted, INEC, Rivers State Public Relations Officer Geraldine Ekelemu denied Eze’s claims, saying it was a figment of the authors’ imaginations.

Ekelemu said that it is a mistake to think that the INEC will have a registration or comparison center in a hotel.

According to her, “We (INEC) don’t have any center in any hotel in Rivers State.

“What is circulating is a document from ten or fifteen years ago that they have released. We do not have any collation center, registration center or even PVC collection center in any hotel.

“So I don’t know where that’s coming from, and I urge the public to ignore that misinformation.”