2023: Cross River REC signs 3281 governorship result sheets
From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
Ahead of this weekend’s governorship elections, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Cross River State Professor Gabriel Yomere has signed all the 3281 result sheets for the elections.
This represents result sheets for the 3281 polling units spread across the 18 local government areas of the state.
Similarly, the administrative secretary of the commission will sign the result sheets for the house of assembly elections.
Professor Yomere disclosed this at the CBN office in Calabar while distributing sensitive materials to the Electoral Officers of the 18 local government areas of the state.
He disclosed that although the Electoral Act does not necessarily require this, he decided to do so to erase doubts about the upcoming elections as over 10 petitions have been received.
“The rumour kitchen has been working very hard and there has been about 8 to 10 petitions regarding result sheets and also demands has been made that the REC signs them.
“No provision has been made on this in the Electoral Act but whatever I do is with the fear of God.
“Myself and management have elected to sign the result sheet and while I will sign that of governor, the administrative will sign that of the house of assembly”, he said.
In his response, Comrade Anthony Bissong, the state Chairman of the Inter Party Advisory Council as well as the Young People’s Party said they equally demanded the results sheets be signed because they did not want a repeat of what happened during the last elections.
He said, “there were observable lapses during the last elections where results were collated without result sheets.
“We do not want what happened in Cross River North during the last elections where result sheets were absent to repeat itself.
“The signing of the result sheets by the REC is like a guarantee and this is the first victory shot as we push for credible elections in the state”, he said.
The signing of the result sheets follows speculation bin some quarters that the result sheets had already been given out to some people.
