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Ahead of the Edo State governorship election scheduled for Wednesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigeria Police have been under serious attacked over alleged plans to compromise during the election by the leadership of the two contending political parties in the election.
The two political parties are the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
BusinessDay reports that the deputy Director- General of the Obaseki Campaign Organization, John Osakue had last Friday at a press briefing alleged that PDP in connivance with INEC plan to hack mobile networks with a view to sabotage the commission’s card readers.
Osakue also alleged that PDP in connivance with top officials in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have infiltrated the commission in a bid to gain access to the commission’s information and logistics for the purpose of carrying out its rigging plans.
He further alleged that it has uncovered the massive flooding of the state with fake army and police uniform while PDP in conjunction with INEC plans to force the filling of incidence form and then proceed to stuff ballot boxes.
Few days after, APC allegations the state chapter of Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday also accused INEC and Police of working in one accord to rig the election in favour of APC.
A statement by the Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Chris Nehikhare on Sunday alleged that the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole and APC have concluded arrangements to thumb print fake ballot papers today (Monday 26/9/2016) at Ibillo, Akoko-Edo local government area in Edo North senatorial district.
Nehikhare alleged that the plan was to transport the thumb printed fake ballot papers to APC areas of weakness and then pretend to expose the perpetuators as PDP supporters that will led to the crackdown of the party’s foot soldiers and arrest them.
He also alleged that the governor and APC will plant fake Permanent Voters Card (PVCs) in the homes of the party’s members.
Other alleged plans listed by the PDP spokesman that the APC and the governor to rig the election include destabilization of the exercise in Uromi, Ovia and parts of Oredo local government areas.
He explained the plan was geared towards provoking inconclusive elections in their areas of weakness, noting that to achieve the objective, an ex-militant by name one General Collins has been recruited by APC and his co-generals.
He further stated that a chieftain of APC in Owan West local government has been mandated to compile names of PDP leaders to a Deputy Commissioner of Police, one Ahmed Bello with the purpose of intimidation, harassment and arrest.
Nehikhare further alleged that an agent of the party had has his three fingers cut off by some suspected cultists acting on the order of the APC chieftain in the locality, adding that the victim was presently in an intensive care unit in an undisclosed hospital.
The PDP state publicity secretary pointed out that on the instruction of the state governor, police entered Okpella with four trucks to arrest some of the party’s members.
While noting that the impunity must stop and be condemned by all, added that the behavior negates the tenets of free, fair and transparent elections.
He however appealed to members to remain calm and law abided, positing that it was a sacrifice one must make in other to effect change.
“ This sacrifice is not for our party, but the oppressed, harassed and intimidated people of Edo State whose cry has been muted in the last Eight years”, he said.
