Edo guber election: Despite court order, INEC denying us access to BVAS, other materials, PDP raises alarm
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm that its candidate in the September 21 Edo governorship election, Asue Ighodalo, is being denied access to inspect the BVAS and other election materials used during the poll despite a court order supporting such a move.
A statement by the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, alleges that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is working in cahoots with the APC to frustrate Ighodalo from gaining access and inspecting the materials used in the election as directed by the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin.
Part of the statement reads; “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 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, dated 29th day of September 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 utilized for the conduct of the Edo State Governorship election held on the 21st September 2024”.
“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.”