The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday, condemned the reported refusal by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo State to grant the PDP and its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo access to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines and other materials used in the September 21, 2024 Edo State governorship election against the order of court.
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP said, “Our Party also alerts the public of how compromised INEC officials used the ploy of waiting for “directives from above” to allegedly allow thugs recruited by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and some unscrupulous police operatives to invade the INEC office in Edo State so as to cause confusion and frustrate the PDP from accessing these sensitive materials.”
Ologunagba said INEC’s refusal to release the materials was in brazen affront of the order of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal Holden at Benin City, dated 29th day of September, 2024, which ordered the Commission to grant the PDP and its candidate “unfettered access to and open up for inspection all electoral documents or any document in the custody of the National Chief Electoral Commissioner or any officer of the Commission/1st Respondent, particularly the Voter Registers, Ballot papers, the BVAS machines, Forms EC25B, EC25B(i) Forms EC40A and Forms EC40C which were utilised for the conduct of the Edo State Governorship election held on the 21st September 2024.”
The PDP spokesman said the action of the INEC in Edo State validated reports of criminal connivance of some INEC officials with the APC to obstruct the course of justice and suppress evidence of the manipulation and doctoring of election results which was clearly won by the PDP and its candidate.
According to Ologunagba, “Information available to the PDP indicates that the heavily compromised INEC officials and the APC are working to alter the data in the BVAS machines, results sheets, ballot papers and other vital information in favour of the defeated APC candidate.
“It is imperative to draw the attention of Nigerians and the International Community of a pattern by the INEC to continue to present itself as a threat to democracy against its mandate to promote democratic principles of free, fair and credible elections in line with the Constitution and extant electoral laws.
“This manipulative and provocative action by INEC and the APC is already causing apprehensions with the possibility of a breakdown of Law and Order as Nigerians are increasingly getting frustrated with the Commission.”
The PDP, therefore, called on the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to immediately redeem the image of the Commission by ensuring the immediate release of the BVAS machines, the results sheets, ballot papers and other vital materials used for the election for inspection by our Party and candidate in compliance with the Order of the Tribunal.
“INEC and the APC must know that there is no way the PDP and the people of Edo State will allow the mandate freely given to our Party and candidate at the September 21, 2024 Edo State Governorship to be illegally transferred to the APC which was defeated at the election,” he said.
Chuks Okocha and Adibe Emenyonu
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