Panic in Ekiti as PDP, APC clash over alleged plan to rig election, withdrawal of election materials

- Following INEC's decision to postpone the February 16 elections, both APC and PDP have been engaged in war of words

- In a reaction to the election postponement, PDP said it uncovered plan by the APC to rig the presidential election using sensitive electoral materials

- APC has, however, denied the PDP claims, adding that it would never involve in anti-democratic activities

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti, on Sunday, February 17, accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of alleged plan to rig the presidential and National Assembly elections in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

NAN reports that the state PDP chairman, Chief Gboyega Oguntuase, who addressed a news conference at Afao Ekiti, the country home of former governor Ayo Fayose, alleged that INEC was slow in withdrawing electoral materials earlier distributed for the polls before its postponement.

Legit.ng gathers that Oguntuase also accused the commission of having disparities in the electoral materials brought from its headquarters in Abuja.

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The chairman who said materials for the conduct of the presidential and senatorial elections did not get to the state until the wee hours of Saturday, February 16, said sensitive materials, especially those for House of Representatives election were not complete.

He said: “There were no result sheets for Ward (Form EC8B) and local government (EC8C) as well as result sheets for final collation (Form EC8D) and announcement of final results (Form EC8E).

“Also, there was excess polling units result sheets (EC8A). The excess were more than two times the number of polling units in Ekiti state. This is to say that each of the polling units in Ekiti state has more than one result sheet.

“As at the wee hours of Saturday; only electoral materials for the conduct of House of Representatives, presidential and south senatorial elections were brought to Ekiti, leaving those for central and north senatorial districts.

“Immediately after the postponement, instruction was given to INEC offices at the local councils to withdraw all the materials already distributed and deposit same with the CBN, except the card Readers which they said needed to be reconfigured.

“Why did it take INEC officials in some of the local governments until 7 pm. to return the electoral materials to the CBN office in Ado Ekiti, when directive to return the materials was issued as early as 8 am. on Saturday?

"Consequently, we are demanding that we be allowed by INEC and CBN to double-check all the electoral materials, more particularly the sensitive materials."

The state party chairman also expressed concern over alleged indiscriminate arrest and harassment of members and supporters of the PDP by men of the state Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

He added: "At about 1:00am. on Saturday, over ten people, including lodgers were arrested at a hotel in Are-Ekiti, owned by the director general of the Atiku/Obi Presidential Campaign Council in Ekiti state, Chief Dipo Anisulowo and were detained till evening.

“Also, nine of our party supporters, including the mother of our House of Representatives candidate in Ekiti South constituency (1), Segun Adekola were arrested in Igbara-Odo while another supporter was arrested in Ilawe-Ekiti."

Refuting the allegations that APC members were behind the attacks on PDP supporters, the director general of Buhari/Osinbajo campaign council in Ekiti, Olusegun Osinkolu, said the party had no reason to resort to anti-democratic means to win elections.

Osinkolu said: “APC is on ground in Ekiti. We did not attack anyone when we won governorship election here as an opposition, Why should we now resort to such acts when we are the ruling party in the state and at the federal level?

“PDP is just looking for whom to blame for its impending woes. They should look inward and settle their differences, rather than pointing accusing fingers at a wrong direction."

When contacted, the INEC public relations officer in Ekiti, Alhaji Taiwo Gbadegesin, however dismissed the PDP allegations, saying all sensitive materials distributed in the state had been withdrawn and kept at the CBN office in Ado Ekiti.

Gbadegesin said the commission dispatched its vehicles and security men on Saturday to retrieve ballot papers and result sheets across the state.

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He added: "These allegations are not correct. All the materials distributed on Friday have been withdrawn. As we speak, they are in CBN for safe keeping while our smart card readers are here in our office, because they have to be reconfigured."

Legit.ng had previously reported that the former finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had slammed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the sudden postponement of the 2019 general elections.

The ex-finance and coordinating minister of the economy under the Goodluck Jonathan administration was in Nigeria to cast her vote and she shared photos of herself and some children at her empty polling booth in Delta state on Saturday, February 16.

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