Ahead of the Monday, May 27, 2024, commencement of the continuous voter registration for the off-cycle governorship election in Edo State, the state chapters of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have engaged in a war of words over an alleged plan to manipulate the exercise.
It was reported that APC, at its press briefing in Benin City on Friday, accused the Edo State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of conniving with PDP to manipulate the voters’ registration exercise in favour of the latter.
The Edo APC Publicity Secretary, Peter Uwadiae, alleged at the press briefing that it has uncovered plans by PDP in the state to circumvent and rig the 2024 governorship election in the state using the forthcoming Continuous Voters Registration, CVR, as a formidable platform.
According to him: “We have on good authority and from multiple sources that some gullible officials of INEC in most of the 18 local government areas that make up our state, have approached the outgoing Edo State government to provide them with ‘logistics’ for the CVR.
“In anticipation, these “unpatriotic INEC officials” have promised to allow the PDP unfettered access to INEC data capturing machines.
“The APC is also aware that the INEC officials have hidden under the guise of no adequate personnel for the exercise, to make frivolous complaints to the outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki aimed at undermining the core mandate of the institution.
Cashing in, the Governor has agreed with INEC to deploy the services of Edo teachers and civil servants in addition to members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, as ad hoc staff. He has promised to bankroll their stipends after the CVR exercise, among others.
“Governor Obaseki’s irritating compromise of INEC is all part of his unholy plan to have his kangaroo local government chairmen do whatever they so desire to do with the CVR in their localities.
It is also within the knowledge of our party that the governor intends to collect the cards from these underage voters and give them to others he plans to hire from Delta State to invade some units in our state and foment trouble on the day of the election.
Additionally, the APC has found out that Governor Obaseki and his Attorney General, Oluwole Osaze-Uzi, who is a former director of INEC, are working closely with the head of INEC ICT unit so the PDP can manipulate the voter register and the BIVAS.”
Uwadiae, however, demanded the immediate deployment of INEC Head of ICT in Edo State, alleging that the staff is closely working with a female INEC staff in Bayelsa State, who is the wife of a PDP chieftain in Edo State.
He also called for strict compliance with the INEC-designated venues for the CVR exercise, which are the ward headquarters.
The APC publicity secretary also demanded the complete restriction of the transfer of voters from neighbouring states during the CVR exercise.
He said the party rejected the use of state security outfits such as PUWOV, EDSTMA, and State Security Network as security across the state.
He noted that only the Nigeria Police, the Civil Defence Corps and other paramilitary organisations are better suited for exercise.
Responding on behalf of the state government and the PDP, the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikare, said the APC allegations against the state government, PDP and INEC show that it is not ready for the election.
“We are worried about that because instead of the APC admitting their failure, they are busy making allegations against an unbiased umpire.
“We are not saying that INEC is totally unbiased but they have a duty to register voters and we will give them whatever support they need,” he said.
Nehikhare said the state government and PDP have nothing to do with the manipulation of the CVR but that they believe in getting Edo people to come out and register.
On his part, INEC’s Head of Voters’ Education, Edo office, Timidi Wariowei, said the idea of a press briefing to cast aspersion or unwarranted allegations against the commission is not the best.
He said: “I don’t understand what they are saying. Last week, we held a stakeholders’ meeting and APC was represented. They didn’t say anything. The same thing took place in the 18 local governments; they were also there and didn’t say anything.”
He said if the APC or any other political party has any grievances against the commission or its staff, they have the right to petition the agency, noting that the doors of the commission are always open to entertain any complaints from political parties, or groups of individuals, among others.