The People Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday accused the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) of plans to fake technical staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in order to tamper with the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) to rig the September 21, 2024, gubernatorial election in Edo State.
The Party, also accused the opposition party of uploading foreigners and emojis as party agents, while the Labour Party (LP) was accused of uploading one picture several times, and
warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to allow any political party that had not filled its party agents after the July, 30 expiration date, to do so.
Speaking at a press conference in Benin City, the Edo State, PDP, Chairman, Dr Tony Aziegbemi said that the APC did not meet with the requirement in uploading party agents in the 3,037 polling units and in the 18 local government areas of the state.
By that singular act, the PDP insisted that the APC had no party agents in only 1,482 Polling Units and 1 7 local government, while the ruling PDP uploaded Polling Agents in 4,378 Polling Units and failed to upload in just 141 Polling Units.
Aziegbemi urged Edo people not to trust the All Progressives Congress APC with their votes.
But the APC has dismissed the allegations as attempts by the PDP to divert attention from its sinister plans, which the APC said it had long exposed.
This was just as INEC urged the PDP to bring its complaints to the stakeholders meeting scheduled to hold on September 11, 2024, with the Commission’s Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, presiding.
Aizegbemi said’”You will recall that INEC had issued a timetable and schedule of activities in Edo State for the Governorship Election. There are 13 items on that document.
“I draw your attention to item 9 “submission of names of political agents, to be uploaded on INEC Portal”. INEC created a portal for political Parties to upload their agents and access codes were given to the Political Parties. INEC portal for uploading Polling Agents opened on the 17th of July and automatically shut down on the 30th of July at Midnight.
“On the 29th of August, 2024 INEC invited the National Chairmen and National Secretaries (of political parties) for an emergency meeting in Abuja.
“To our amazement, the APC did not meet with the requirement in 3,037 polling units and in 17 Local Government, which means APC has polling Agents in only 1,482 Polling Units and 1 Local Government Agent.
PDP uploaded Polling Agents in 4,378 Polling Units, but could not meet the requirements in 141 Polling Unit. A party that cannot upload its polling unit agents in two-thirds of the polling units cannot be trusted with power in our State. We demand that no political party be allowed to correct this anomaly.”
“Secondly, we wish to draw the attention of INEC and Edolites to the sinister plan of the APC which has been uncovered by our intelligence unit. APC has perfected a plan to use fake INEC Staff posing as Technical Staff to temper with the BVAS Machine on the Day of Election to beef up the number of accredited voters on the BVAS machine.
“We demand that INEC publish in good time the names and pictures of all appointed RTECs FOR THE ELECTION AND THEIR POSTING.
“APC knowing that they cannot win the election has resorted to RIGGING PLANS which will terribly fail, by the Grace of Almighty God.” Aziegbemi said.
In his reaction, Kassim Afegbua, Director of Media, APC Governorship Camping Council, said that “The PDP has just told the public what they are planning to do, but the bad news is that we are monitoring them bumper to bumper.
According to Afegbua, “there is no escape route for Governor Obaseki and his godson, Asue Ighodalo. We have told the world before now that Governor Obaseki brought hackers and cloners to Edo, with the aim of ensuring that the BIVAS are tampered with, while also cloning our candidate’s voice.
“Now, they saw that is not working, they now want to device another method. By Monday and Tuesday, they have perfected plans to stage protests across the state asking that their criminal elements should not.be arrested.
“Those who were fingered in the killing of Inspector Onu Akor are running away from investigation. They are afraid of facing the consequences of their action, hiding in Edo state government House for fear of arrest. They are coming up with these allegations to distract attention but unfortunately, we are following them up.
“We get details of their meeting everyday. We exposed the voice notes of their so-called Edo Security Network directive to their armed personnel, telling them to hide their guns. The game is up for them. Tell them to go and face their campaigns and stop using Edo monies to hire Rema to beef up their campaigns. Rema is an illustrious Edo son who should not be exposed to the politics of failure of Governor Obaseki.
“He should be advised to stay away from dubious politics of Governor Obaseki, and instead face his flourishing music career as a career singer. Governor Obaseki did not contribute anything to the rise of Rema, he should not reap opportunistically from the young man’s fame. Our market women are in need of help, use such monies to help them.” Afegbua counselled.
Also in his reaction, Timidi Wariowei, Edo State INEC spokesman, urged the PDP to bring its complaints to the September 21, 2014 election
“The Chairman of the Commission Professor Mahmood Yakubu will be presiding over an enlarged stakeholders meeting in Benin on the 11th of September, 2024. He can raise these issues there.”, Watowei
TheWitness
