Edo 2024: PDP, APC Trade Blame Over Allegation to Rig Governorship Poll

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-City

Ahead of the September governorship election in Edo State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said it has uncovered surreptitious plans by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to use fake staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who would be posing as technical staff to tamper with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

The state PDP Chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, made the allegation yesterday in Benin-City, while briefing journalists.
Reacting to the PDP allegation of APC plotting to rig the election, Media Director of APC Campaign Council, Prince Kassim Afegbua, yesterday, accused the ruling PDP in Edo of planning to rig the September 21 governorship election.  
He called on the PDP to campaign to the electorate, saying that the N500 million the state government allegedly spent on hiring Rema to Benin, should have been spent to improve the lot market women who he said were suffering.

Aziegbemi, who recalled that INEC had issued a timetable and schedule of activities in the state for the Governorship Election with 13 items on that document, drew the attention of the public to item 9 “submission of names of political agents, to be uploaded on INEC portal”.
He alleged that INEC created a portal for political parties to upload their agents and access codes given to them, adding that the electoral umpire’s portal for uploading Polling Agents opened on the 17th of July and automatically shut down on the 30th of July at midnight.

According to o him, “on the 29th of August, 2024 INEC invited the National Chairmen and National Secretaries for an emergency meeting in Abuja but to our surprise, the APC did not meet with the requirement in 3,037 polling units and in 17 Local Government, which means APC has Polling Agents in only 1,482 Polling Units and one Local Government Agent while PDP uploaded Polling Agents in 4,378 Polling Units.

In his words, “You will recall that INEC had issued a timetable and schedule of activities in Edo State for the Governorship Election. There are 13 items on that document. I draw your attention to item 9 “submission of names of political agents, to be uploaded on INEC Portal”. INEC created a portal for political Parties to upload their agents and access codes were given to the political parties. INEC portal for uploading Polling Agents opened on the 17th of July and automatically shut down on the 30th of July at midnight.
“To our amazement, the APC did not meet the requirement in 3,037 polling units and in 17 Local Government, which means APC has polling Agents in only 1,482 Polling Units and 1 Local Government Agent. PDP uploaded Polling Agents in 4,378 Polling Units. A party that cannot upload its polling unit agents in two-thirds of the polling units cannot be trusted with power in our state. We demand that no political party be allowed to correct this anomaly.

“Secondly, we wish to draw the attention of INEC and Edolites to the sinister plan of the APC which has been uncovered by our intelligence unit. APC has perfected a plan to use fake INEC staff posing as Technical Staff to tamper with the BVAS Machine on the Day of Election to beef up the number of accredited voters on the BVAS machine.

“We demand that INEC publish in good time the names and pictures of all appointed RTECs for the election and their position.

“APC knowing that they cannot win the election has resorted to rigging plans which will terribly fail, by the Grace of Almighty God.”

The PDP also charged INEC to firmly resist the plot by the APC to smuggle in unaccredited Polling and Collation Agents after the APC failed to meet the deadline stipulated by the Electoral Act, 2022 and INEC Guidelines for the September 21, 2024 Governorship election in Edo State.

In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, the party said that it is already public knowledge as posted on INEC’s Portal that the APC failed to upload its over 3,000 Polling and Collation Agents with the required bio-data and cannot be allowed to submit any Polling and Collation Agent after the deadline for submission on July 30, 2024 as doing so would amount to rigging the process.

Ologunagba said, “It is clear that the APC did not upload the required bio-data of Agents with the sinister aim to cause confusion, smuggle in thugs masquerading as Agents to trigger crisis on election day and pave way for its planned manipulation and disruption of the poll having realised that it has no prospect of winning the election.

“Only this can explain why the APC fraudulently uploaded emojis, pictures of foreigners, social media pictures and non-human photos as Polling and Collation Agents, with the intention to use same as placeholders for thugs imported from certain APC states.”

Ologunagba stressed that it  further confirms PDP’s position that the APC and its lackluster candidate, Monday Okpebholo have never been prepared for any democratic contest in the Edo State Governorship election but only waiting to manipulate the election against the Will of the people of Edo State.

“Unlike the PDP candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo who has been vigorously campaigning and engaging the people, the APC and its candidate remain completely disconnected from the electorate, the public, the media and resort only to lies, falsehood, propaganda and desperation to manipulate.

“No wonder credible citizens of Edo State, especially the youths spurned offers to serve as Polling and Collation Agents for the APC, given the widespread rejection of the APC and its candidate ahead of the election.”, he stated

The PDP therefore called  on INEC and the security agencies to ensure the credibility of the September 21, 2024 Edo State governorship election by resisting the pressure by APC leaders to violate the Electoral Act, 2022 and INEC Guidelines by allowing the APC to smuggle in thugs and unaccredited individuals as Polling Agents.

“Our party insists that a strict compliance and implementation of the Electoral Act, 2022 and INEC Guidelines remains the assurance for a free, fair, transparent and credible election which is the only guarantee that the Will of the people as expressed in elections will prevail.”, he explained.

The PDP commended the people of Edo State for their overwhelming support for our party and candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo while urging them to remain vigilant and alert in resisting the shenanigans of the APC.

Meanwhile, on the claim of political parties not meeting INEC deadline for submission of party agents, Afegbua said the agents names had been submitted, explaining all parties had up till 12 midnight yesterday to upload the agents’ pictures to INEC.