The Oyo State police command on Wednesday
arrested a lorry conveying ballot boxes said to
belong to the Independent National Electoral
Commission around 2am in the Yemetu area of
Ibadan.
The ballot boxes were stored in a 40-feet
container.
Sources said that the trailer was arrested on the
suspicion that it was carrying contraband items
but was later discovered that its contents were
ballot boxes meant for the next month election in
Osun State.
It was learnt that the trailer and the
consignment were later released after police
investigation revealed that the boxes were being
transported to Osun State by INEC.
However, the arrest created anxiety in political
circles as politicians made effort to know if the
boxes were empty or stuffed with ballot papers.
At a point, rumour spread in the city that a
certain political party had connived with INEC to
bring in thumb-printed ballot papers into Oyo
State.
A source said, “A trailer carrying a 40-feet
container with registration number FKJ 285 XN
was actually impounded by the police but after a
thorough check, it was cleared and released.”
The spokesman for the Oyo State Police
Command, Mr. Kayode Ajisebutu, could not
confirm the incident. He said he was outside the
state and could not get through to the
Commissioner of Police.
Meanwhile, the immediate past Cross River State
Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini,
has said INEC will no longer be the tool for
manipulation by some politicians but a national
institution committed to the conduct of free, fair
and credible elections.
Igini, who said this on Wednesday at the
unveiling of INEC Conference Hall in Calabar,
also decried the lack of internal democracy in
political parties. Igini said, “This year’s election will be a watershed, a paradigm shift that would bring
about the hope of integrity and reliability
unequalled in our electoral history. At all times
we strive to do what is right. The commission
will no longer be the tool for manipulation by
some politicians. “Our commitment to do the right thing was initially misunderstood especially our emphasis on internal party democracy which is still a
problem today, where parties do not even have a
minimum requirement of credible register of
delegates before conducting elections.
“It is inconsiderable that INEC would conduct
elections that would be acceptable by the
Nigerian people without having a register of
voters published. The foundation of any good
elections must start with the existence of a
credible and reliable register of voters,” he said.
He thanked the INEC membrs of staff for their
commitment.
The REC said the Conference Hall christened
“Democracy Hall” would serve for conducting
INEC activities, especially collation of results,
after 25 years of hiring venues.
The INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, who
was represented by the Vice-Chancellor of the
University of Calabar, Prof. James Epoke, said
Igini had made a change for the better in INEC
both infrastructural and in entrenching the right
mindset. He said such should be the character of political leaders, who should always leave where they
were better than they met it. Jega, who inaugurated the hall, hoped the new REC would do the right thing.
The state chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory
Committee, Mr. Goddie Akpama, said under
Igini’s watch the state was a hallmark of free,
fair and credible elections.






Source: http://www.punchng.com/news/police-arrest-lorry-with-ballot-boxes-in-ibadan/

Really.

Ok

image please.

Thank God twas confirmed the boxes are empty ones. But happened the boxes been used during governorship election that INEC are bring new ones.

The ballot boxes were imported. Last time that I saw some 40ft conts. of INEC ballot boxes undergoing customs examination @P&CHS Tincan. This should not have been a news issue in the first place.

PDP police command