INEC and Makinde plot to frustrate voters, APC says
The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State said on Sunday that it had uncovered plans by the People's Democratic Party and the Independent National Election Commission to change the location of some polling stations in view to frustrate voters on election day.
The allegation was contained in a statement released on Sunday and made available to reporters in Ibadan by APC Publicity Secretary Olawale Sadare.
The APC spokesman said the state's opposition party was in possession of an intelligence report revealing how state governor Seyi Makinde allegedly compromised rotten eggs at the within INEC to help relocate state polling stations to locations that may be inaccessible, difficult to reach or non-existent on Election Day.
The statement reads: "Makinde, already receiving the signals indicating his inevitable electoral fate, has issued a standing instruction to some bad eggs within the Oyo State office of INEC, to move immediately several polling places across the state, from their advertised addresses to unknown or obscure locations.
“A review of the units involved clearly revealed the devil behind the detail; these are units considered bastions of our party, which, given the pervasive atmosphere of free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria, should allow our party to win hands down, without fuss.
"Not only would this plot cause voters incalculable stress on Election Day, as many will hear about it for the first time on Election Day, but many will also be disappointed once they are unable to locate the new polling stations. This will then drop the idea of participating in the voting exercise and therefore reduce the chances of electoral victory of the preferred candidate”.
Wondering why Governor Makinde and his party, the PDP, had to plot voter fraud day and night, despite the bluster declaring his re-election a non-starter and murderous propaganda to boot, the party informed them that no matter how deep their plots or the dexterity of their stratagems, the resolve of the good people of Oyo State to free themselves from a government of deceit, will always smash them to pieces.
"Through this notice, we alert the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Zonal Electoral Commissioner, the Resident Electoral Commissioner and all electoral stakeholders to shine the spotlight of the commission on the activities INEC staff, especially those in the Oyo State office, so that they do not allow some rotten eggs to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of the commission or discredit its concerted efforts to organize free polls , fair and credible.
"We left behind the ugly experience of 2019 when a supposedly impartial arbitrator became an interested party and colluded with the PDP to perpetrate electoral fraud. The ax job was well done, so the Most polling stations were turned into drinking joints by PDP members as early as noon on Election Day due to the assurances they had obtained.
"But this time, INEC will be held responsible for all unclaimed PVCs, election materials and the smooth running of the ballot."
However, the PDP described the APC's allegation as false, saying the opposition party in the state said this out of frustration because their plans to rig upcoming polls had been blocked by the INEC.
The spokesperson for the PDP in Oyo State, Mr. Akeem Olatunji, said in an interview with our correspondent that it appeared to the APC that his election failure was imminent.
He said, "Their allegation about moving the polling stations confirms the idea that APC is practically dead in Oyo. When someone has lost a fight, they will fabricate the reasons for their defeat and that is exactly what the APC is doing now.
"They know they can't win without manipulation and the plan was blocked by INEC, which is why they resorted to false allegations.
"We are not the ruling party federally and INEC is a federal agency, so how is it possible for the opposition party to control the agency under the ruling party? They say what they have in mind to rig the next election, but we are confident that INEC under the leadership of Professor Mahmood Yakubu would do a good job in the 2023 election.
"With the BVAS introduced by INEC, APC knows they can't get half the votes they got in 2019 because the party has scattered and defeating them this time would make us sweat. "
The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State said on Sunday that it had uncovered plans by the People's Democratic Party and the Independent National Election Commission to change the location of some polling stations in view to frustrate voters on election day.
The allegation was contained in a statement released on Sunday and made available to reporters in Ibadan by APC Publicity Secretary Olawale Sadare.
The APC spokesman said the state's opposition party was in possession of an intelligence report revealing how state governor Seyi Makinde allegedly compromised rotten eggs at the within INEC to help relocate state polling stations to locations that may be inaccessible, difficult to reach or non-existent on Election Day.
The statement reads: "Makinde, already receiving the signals indicating his inevitable electoral fate, has issued a standing instruction to some bad eggs within the Oyo State office of INEC, to move immediately several polling places across the state, from their advertised addresses to unknown or obscure locations.
“A review of the units involved clearly revealed the devil behind the detail; these are units considered bastions of our party, which, given the pervasive atmosphere of free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria, should allow our party to win hands down, without fuss.
"Not only would this plot cause voters incalculable stress on Election Day, as many will hear about it for the first time on Election Day, but many will also be disappointed once they are unable to locate the new polling stations. This will then drop the idea of participating in the voting exercise and therefore reduce the chances of electoral victory of the preferred candidate”.
Wondering why Governor Makinde and his party, the PDP, had to plot voter fraud day and night, despite the bluster declaring his re-election a non-starter and murderous propaganda to boot, the party informed them that no matter how deep their plots or the dexterity of their stratagems, the resolve of the good people of Oyo State to free themselves from a government of deceit, will always smash them to pieces.
"Through this notice, we alert the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Zonal Electoral Commissioner, the Resident Electoral Commissioner and all electoral stakeholders to shine the spotlight of the commission on the activities INEC staff, especially those in the Oyo State office, so that they do not allow some rotten eggs to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of the commission or discredit its concerted efforts to organize free polls , fair and credible.
"We left behind the ugly experience of 2019 when a supposedly impartial arbitrator became an interested party and colluded with the PDP to perpetrate electoral fraud. The ax job was well done, so the Most polling stations were turned into drinking joints by PDP members as early as noon on Election Day due to the assurances they had obtained.
"But this time, INEC will be held responsible for all unclaimed PVCs, election materials and the smooth running of the ballot."
However, the PDP described the APC's allegation as false, saying the opposition party in the state said this out of frustration because their plans to rig upcoming polls had been blocked by the INEC.
The spokesperson for the PDP in Oyo State, Mr. Akeem Olatunji, said in an interview with our correspondent that it appeared to the APC that his election failure was imminent.
He said, "Their allegation about moving the polling stations confirms the idea that APC is practically dead in Oyo. When someone has lost a fight, they will fabricate the reasons for their defeat and that is exactly what the APC is doing now.
"They know they can't win without manipulation and the plan was blocked by INEC, which is why they resorted to false allegations.
"We are not the ruling party federally and INEC is a federal agency, so how is it possible for the opposition party to control the agency under the ruling party? They say what they have in mind to rig the next election, but we are confident that INEC under the leadership of Professor Mahmood Yakubu would do a good job in the 2023 election.
"With the BVAS introduced by INEC, APC knows they can't get half the votes they got in 2019 because the party has scattered and defeating them this time would make us sweat. "
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