Amidst allegations and counter-allegations by the two leading political parties in Edo State – the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, the ruling party at the centre – to rig the September 21governorship poll, the latter on Friday again raised the alarm that its major opponent had perfected a plan to use fake staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) as Technical Staff to tamper with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine on election day “to beef up the number of accredited voters”.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The party therefore demanded that INEC published in good time, the names and pictures of all its appointed technical staff and their postings.
At a press conference in Benin, the PDP also accused the APC of failure to meet the deadline of July 30, 2024, for the upload of its party agents on INEC portal in line with the election umpire’s timetable and schedule of activities.
According to the state chairman of the PDP, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, “the APC did not meet with the requirement in 3,037 polling units and in 17 Local Governments, which means APC has polling agents in only 1,482 Polling Units and 1 Local Government Agent” whereas his party, the PDP, uploaded its polling agents in 4,378 polling units.
But in its reaction, the APC pooh-poohed PDP’s claim, stating that the ruling party had just exposed what they were planning to do. Prince Kassim Afegbua, media director of the APC Campaign Council, advised the PDP to face their campaigns “and stop using Edo monies to hire Rema to beef up their campaigns”.
Hinting that the press conference was on INEC, Aziegbemi 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 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 Governments, 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”.
Upbraiding the APC, the PDP contended that “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”.
On alleged plot by the APC to rig the election, Aziegbemi said “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 tamper 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”.
However, debunking these allegations, Afegbua said the bad news for the PDP in its game plan to rig the election “is that we are monitoring them bumper to bumper”, stressing that “There is no escape route for Governor Obaseki and his godson, Asue Ighodalo”.
According to the former governorship aspirant, and erstwhile information commissioner in the administration of immediate past governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole, “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 protest 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 every day. 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”.
Spokesman of the INEC in the state, Timidi Wariowei, in his reaction, however said the APC could raise the issues on September 11, when the chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, would be in the state to preside over an enlarged stakeholders meeting. A peace pact is also expected to be signed by all the participating political parties and their candidates on that day ahead of the election.
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