The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has expressed displeasure over 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 to conduct the September 21, 2024, gubernatorial elections against the order of the court.
PDP also accused INEC officials of working with the All Progressives Congress, APC, to alter the data in the BVAS machines, results sheets, ballot papers and other vital information used in the election in favour of the defeated APC candidate.
Recall that Ighodalo and the PDP had obtained the tribunal court order directing the INEC among other things to hand over the comprehensive list of all the electoral materials available in its custody for the inspection of Ighodalo and the PDP and “the taking of the Certified True Copy thereof.”
Meanwhile, thousands of supporters of APC, yesterday, besieged the Benin City, headquarters of INEC, protesting alleged plot by PDP, candidate, Igholdao to tamper with result sheets and other election materials in the commission’s office ahead of the sitting of the Edo State Election Petition Tribunal.
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, in a statement, in Abuja, yesterday, 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 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.
“INEC’s refusal to release the materials is in brazen affront of the order of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal Holden at Benin City, on September 29, 2024, which ordered the commission to grant our party and 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 September 21, 2024.”
Ologunagba further said: “The action of the INEC in Edo State, therefore, validates 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.
“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.
“Nigerians will recall from reports in the public domain since the 2023 elections that INEC has proven to be in active connivance with the APC to manipulate the outcome of every election in favour of the APC in total disregard and contempt to the expressed will of the people and the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022 and INEC Guidelines for elections.
“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, calls 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.”
Meanwhile, a member of the applicants’ legal team, Olusegun Jolaowo, SAN, who spoke to newsmen after visitng INEC over the court order, said: “We came here today (yesterday) in furtherance of our attempt to get materials to flesh up our petition in following the court order received on September 29, 2024.
“When we got here today, we were unable to get an audience with the REC but we were able to meet with the head of the legal department, who told us that they were preparing a schedule for our inspection.
“We have not been able to inspect because we have not been able to have access to the BVAS machines to conduct interrogation of the same with our team. So, where we are right now, is that we were told whenever the schedule is ready we would be contacted by INEC which is not what we expected today. All the petitioners have till next Saturday to submit their petitions.
