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Eze Chukwuemeka, a close associate of former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, have accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) of listing some hotels owned by politicians who are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as Registration Area Centres(RACs), in Port Harcourt.
Eze Chukwuemeka, made this known in a statement issued on Monday while speaking to news outlets.
He stated that the enlistment of hotels owned by members of the PDP for the stockpiling of election materials and collation of unit results in the 2023 general elections was most unfortunate and regrettable.
While speaking he noted that the RACs for Port Harcourt includes “Landmark Hotels owned by Senator Olaka Nwogu, a former Federal Lawmaker and ally of Governor Nyesom Wike and Visa Karena Hotel, owned by Chief Sergeant Awuse. All these hotels are owned by prominent members of the PDP.
His statement read in part,
“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.
“The ownership or management of the aforelisted hotels are directly or indirectly linked to the PDP and Governor Wike, therefore shortlisting them as RACs for the purpose of the 2023 elections will undermine the status of INEC and as an unbiased umpire and jeopardize the commission’s reputation built over the years.”
Eze, who is an APC chieftain pleaded with INEC to withdraw its approval of the hotels as RACs, because there are alternative structures like government owned schools and town halls that can be used as RACs and collation centers.
Eze said:
“Same purpose for which the above-listed private properties were approved can be taken care of by government schools and town halls in the area such as Oroworukwo Town Hall, RumuWoji Town Hall, State School, Elekahia, State School, Orominieke, Ogbumnuabali Town Hall, etc.”
However INEC, through it’s Public Relations Officer in Rivers State, Geraldine Ekelemu, denied the allegations made by Eze.
Ekelemu stated that INEC doesn’t have any collation center or RACs in any hotel in Rivers State. She added that the false document which Eze is relying on, is an outdated document.
In her words,
“We (INEC) don’t have any centre in any hotel in Rivers State.
“What is being circulated is a document of ten to fifteen years ago that they have brought out. We don’t have any collation centre, registration centre or even PVC collection centre in any hotel.
“So I don’t know where that is coming from, and I urge the public to disregard such misinformation.”
