Beware of fraud, the opposition warns the CENI, the APC retracts

Ahead of the 2023 general election, opposition parties advised the Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday not to succumb to forces opposing the rollout of the biometric voter accreditation system and electronic transmission of results.

The People's Democratic Party, Labor Party, Grand Progressive Alliance, Social Democratic Party, New Nigerian People's Parties and Coalition of United Political Parties, in separate interviews with The PUNCH, have insisted that abandoning the BVAS would jeopardize the polls.

The parties have spoken out in response to a statement attributed to National All Progressives Congress President Abdullahi Adamu, in which he expressed doubts about INEC's ability to hold an election credible using the BVAS.

Adamu had expressed reservations about the rollout of electronic transmission of results when a Commonwealth delegation to the 2023 general election paid him a courtesy call at the party secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday.

Adamu's fear was echoed by National Party Organizing Secretary Suleiman Argungu, who identified a stable power supply as one of the barriers to innovation.

Argungu also cited his home state, Kebbi, as an example of an area where such technology could run into trouble.

But just 24 hours after their statements, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka announced that the party chairman had been quoted out of context.

Morka said that while Adamu tasked INEC with preparing to deploy the technology, the party remains committed to the highest levels of election transparency.

The statement reads: "A section of the media is inundated with comments attributed to the All Progressives Congress National President, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, on the rollout of the Bimodal Accreditation System for Voters and Results Viewing Portal, otherwise known as the Electronic Transmission of Election Results, for the 2023 General Election.

"Media reports that President Adamu objected to INEC's decision to deploy the BVAS and that the electronic transmission of results is patently false and constitutes an unfair distortion of the President's comments national.

"During a meeting with the Commonwealth Pre-Election Delegation yesterday, Wednesday 23rd November 2022, in response to a question regarding the country's preparations for next year's elections, the National President noted that while preparations were in high gear, he instructed INEC to take effective measures to fill the gaps that may be created by the electricity and telecommunications network problems in some peripheral electoral districts of the country in order to to ensure a smooth and successful deployment of BVAS and other technologies to ensure free and transparent elections.”

But dismissing Abdullahi's about-face, PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba said technology had come to stay in the country's electoral process, warning those who were doing pressure on INEC to abstain.

“We know where the pressure is coming from, but we have to tell them that the technology is here to stay; BVAS has come to stay. The whole world wants to witness free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria in 2023. Credible polls are impossible without the use of technology. INEC must not listen to these enemies of democracy. They must resist their antics as Nigerians are solidly behind the commission,” he warned.

Director of Strategic Communications, PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Momodu has singled out APC as the force behind the pressure on INEC to get rid of BVAS .

"APC is nervous and does not want to go through the technological process. Whether they admit it or not, they are afraid, knowing that they cannot win elections anywhere in Nigeria. The Technology will lay out their rigging plans. All other parties are interested in credible elections except the ruling party. So INEC must not give in to pressure from anyone," he said. recommended.

Labour's National Publicity Secretary Abayomi Arabambi argued that Adamu's earlier stance was a subtle strategy to pressure the election arbiter into rejecting the BVAS.

He said, "It's obvious the APC is nervous. It's a strategy to pressure INEC, but it won't work. The APC is not the only party to stand in the 2023 election. Because the fact that they claim the man recanted is enough to indicate that they are afraid of losing the election.

"I guess the man was in his right mind before he complained about BVAS which is the only solution to election rigging. Even INEC claimed that there is no there is no turning back.

"Does...