Breaking: PDP Cries Out, Accuses INEC of Plotting to Erase Evidence Against Tinubu’s Victory
- Nigeria's main opposition party, PDP, has accused INEC of making moves to destroy the evidence contained in the BVAS machines used for the 2023 presidential election
- The party's spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, made the allegation during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, March 7
- Recall that INEC had filed a motion requesting that it be allowed to reconfigure the BVAS machines ahead of the governorship elections
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FCT, Abuja - The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of plotting to destroy evidence contained in the BVAS machines under the guise of reconfiguration.
Debo Ologunagba, the party's spokesman, made the allegation at a press conference in Abuja, on Tuesday, March 7, Vanguard reported.
He said the press conference was organised to:
"alert Nigerians and the International Community of the atrocious move by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to destroy and erase evidence of its intolerable rigging of the February 25, 2023, Presidential election."
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The PDP spokesman added:
“Late yesterday at 10: 10 pm, INEC in a desperate move to prevent our Party and Candidate from obtaining necessary evidence as Ordered by the Court, filed a motion requesting that it be allowed to reconfigure the BVAS machines and wipe out relevant information that our Party and Candidate require to prosecute our case at the Presidential Election Tribunal."
“This reprehensible action by INEC to frustrate the desire of Nigerians to get redress through the court is a clear recipe for crisis and a deliberate design by the Commission to derail our democracy and trigger anarchy in the country.”
He further accused the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, of superintending over the manipulation of the presidential election results.
Ologunagba said the INEC boss hurriedly announced a winner despite widespread outcry and complaints over numerous evidence of malpractices and violation of several provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 by INEC and its officials.
INEC in panic mode following PDP's legal move - Ologunagba
Ologunagba claimed that INEC sought an order to reconfigure BVAS after the PDP approached the court and obtained an order directing the electoral body to grant the party access to the election materials used in the poll.
The PDP spokesman further alleged that the court order jolted INEC into panic mode, which led the election management body to rush to court to file a motion requesting the court to allow it to reconfigure the BVAS devices with the view to erasing the information contained therein.
He said the move by INEC only points to the impunity and guilt of the commission about the reported manipulations and alteration of results to deny the PDP its victory at the presidential election.
“Why is INEC panicky and desperate to erase the data in the BVAS if not that they contain evidence of malpractices and its culpability in the election?” Ologunagba queried
“We need to reconfigure the BVAS for the next round of elections”, INEC tells court
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that INEC asked the Presidential Election Petition Court to vary the orders granted to the PDP and Labour Party candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, to inspect materials used for the last presidential election.
In a motion on notice filed on March 4, the electoral commission prayed the court to vary the order, which restrained it from tampering with materials used for the election.
The commission explained that it needed to reconfigure the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System for the next round of elections.
Source: Legit.ng