. INEC commissioner, two directors are plotting to rig Ekiti poll for APC – PDP
By Valentine Amanze
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over alleged plots by the National Commissioner in charge of Operations, Mrs. Amina Zakari, and two directors of the commission to manipulate the system and rig the July 14, Ekiti governorship election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party, through its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said its investigation revealed that two INEC directors, Mr. Pascal Uwakwe, in charge of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and one Mr. Abdulrasaq Agboola, had been holding meetings with the APC candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to perfect their plot to rig the election.
“The PDP has been fully made aware of how the INEC directors have been meeting with Fayemi, Gov. Akeredolu and other APC leaders at the Ondo State
Government House, Akure, in the last three weeks on the directives of Mrs. Zakari, as well as details of their plot to manipulate the process and rig the election for the APC.
“The party is also privy of the game plan of the APC to use INEC’s ICT Department to preload card readers and input false results through E-Collation while also using different sets of Forms EC8A to enter fake results in over 503 polling units to authenticate the fake E-collation results,” the party said.
The PDP however urged Nigerians to note these INEC’s clandestine activities, particularly those of Mrs. Zakari, whom it said, was fast earning notoriety in election rigging, as well as the manipulations going on under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC boss.
It further stated that Zakari was reportedly sighted in Lagos last Wednesday where she allegedly held meeting with some top functionaries of the APC, including the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
“Further investigations revealed that Uwakwe, in particular, has been positioned to act as courier for huge sums of money to be paid to INEC staff that will perpetrate the rigging,” PDP said.
The opposition, therefore, demanded that Zakari and her gang must not play any active role in the Ekiti election, stressing, “She must stay away from Ekiti State as there is no way we can have a free, fair and credible election, with her in the process.”
The party therefore appealed to the international community as well as anti-graft agencies to be watchful of “the sinister motives of Zakari and her collaborators in INEC ICT Department, as well as others in the Operations unit.”
PDP also cautioned all compromised INEC and security officials, who had been assigned to attempt to subvert the will of the people of Ekiti State in this election.
