On Monday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo State of compromise over its refusal to grant the party and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, access to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines and other materials used in the September 21, 2024, election, News About Nigeria reports.
Making the allegation in a statement on Monday, the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, noted that the INEC’s refusal to grant them access to the BVAS and other election materials is against the order of the court.
He further noted that the action of the INEC in Edo State shows that the speculation by many that the election body partnered with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig the election is not far from the truth.
“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.
“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 utilised for the conduct of the Edo State Governorship election held on the 21st September 2024.”
The statement further claimed that 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.”
