The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of colluding with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig the September 19 governorship election in Edo State. This is coming barely two weeks after the APC accused Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini, of holding meetings with PDP candidate, Governor Godwin Obaseki to manipulate the election in his favour.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, at an interactive session with journalists in Abuja, said the party had information that the National Commissioner was being used by APC to manipulate Local Government SPOs who will conduct the next week’s election to favour the party during the election.
“We have information and we want INEC to speak out on the allegation that one of its National Commissioners is being used by (Adams) Oshiomhole and (Osagie) Ize-Iyamu to manipulate SPOs and Local Government SPOs in respect of the election of September 19, and we are challenging Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to speak out on this matter.
“It is not enough for one character to sit down in Edo State and point accusing fingers. We are talking about what we have heard, especially as it concerns manipulation in INEC and we are asking Prof. Yakubu to speak on it. “We also heard that he is busy changing the list of ad hoc staff recruited by INEC and collecting names from Ize-Iyamu and the former National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and reflecting such new names in the INEC list among those who will work for the commission on election day.
“Our position is that INEC and Prof. Yakubu cannot keep quiet on this issue. He must come and speak out on this allegation,” Ologbondiyan demanded. He also alleged that INEC was going to allow for the use of cloned permanent voters’ cards (PVCs) by the APC on the day of the election. Ologbondiyan, however, assured that PDP was seeking strategies to neutralise all the game plans of APC. He told INEC that it owes it as a responsibility to give assurances to the people of Edo State that the allegations were not correct.
Ologbondiyan said the PDP had received assurances from INEC and from the various security chiefs that they will play by the rules during the election, but said it was not enough to make promises, then you go back and look idly and allow vandals, bandits, thugs that were used in Kano, Ekiti, Osun to come and cause mayhem in Edo State.
He reminded the security chiefs that their positions have tenure, adding that whatever role one plays now will be recorded for him in future. He expressed confidence in the people of Edo State to ensure that their votes count. According to him, the candidate of APC knows that he is going to lose the election because he is not on the ground. “Governor Obaseki would defeat the APC in a manner that he would even be afraid to approach the tribunal. “That is what is on the ground.
That is why all these allegations about insecurity are coming up, that is why they are raising thugs they call ‘lions and tigers’ and asking them on election day to go and do 100 votes with one PVC. “But Edo people are prepared and they are ready for them.
“If you are following the campaigns of the parties and the two candidates, you will realise that the APC has a crippled campaign. They have not been able to take off in any way and that they are being rejected. “If you have been following the campaigns, you will discover that the candidate of the PDP is widely accepted. “It is not easy as a politician for you to be able to move from ward to ward. But Obaseki has moved around 192 wards, and as we speak, campaign is going on. “The APC cannot campaign; they have no followership; they have no people who are working for them and as such, they are only ready for violence,” he said.