Edo: Don’t allow unaccredited APC’s polling agents, PDP tells INEC

BY TUNDE OPALANA & TITUS AKHIGBE

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to firmly resist the plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to allegedly smuggle in unaccredited polling and collation agents after the APC failed to meet the deadline stipulated by the Electoral Act, 2022 and INEC Guidelines for the September 21, 2024 Governorship election in Edo State.

The party claimed that it is already public knowledge as posted on INEC’s portal that the APC failed to upload its over 3000 polling and collation agents with the required bio-data and cannot be allowed to submit any polling and collation agent after the deadline for submission on July 30, 2024 as doing so would amount to rigging the process.

National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba in a statement on Friday said “it is clear that the APC did not upload the required bio-data of Agents with the sinister aim to cause confusion, smuggle in thugs masquerading as agents to trigger crisis on election day and pave way for its planned manipulation and disruption of the poll having realized that it has no prospect of winning the election.

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“Only this can explain why the APC fraudulently uploaded emojis, pictures of foreigners, social media pictures and non-human photos as Polling and Collation Agents, with the intention to use same as placeholders for thugs imported from certain APC states.

“This further confirms PDP’s position that the APC and its lackluster candidate, Monday Okpebholo have never been prepared for any democratic contest in the Edo State governorship election but only waiting to manipulate the election against the Will of the people of Edo State.

“Unlike the PDP candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo who has been vigorously campaigning and engaging the people, the APC and its candidate remain completely disconnected from the electorate, the public, the media and resort only to lies, falsehood, propaganda and desperation to manipulate.

“No wonder credible citizens of Edo State, especially the youths spurned offers to serve as Polling and Collation Agents for the APC, given the widespread rejection of the APC and its candidate ahead of the election.”

The PDP therefore called on INEC and the security agencies to ensure the credibility of the September 21, 2024 Edo State governorship election by resisting the pressure by APC leaders to violate the Electoral Act, 2022 and INEC Guidelines by allowing the APC to smuggle in thugs and unaccredited individuals as polling agents.

“Our party insists that a strict compliance and implementation of the Electoral Act, 2022 and INEC Guidelines remains the assurance for a free, fair, transparent and credible election which is the only guarantee that the Will of the people as expressed in elections will prevail,” he added.

Meanwhile at a press conference addressed by the Edo State chairman of PDP, Dr.Tony Aziegbemi, he alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC)did not meet with the requirement in 3,037 polling units and in 17 Local Government Areas.

His words: “Today’s press conference is on INEC. You will recall that INEC had issued a timetable and schedule of activities in Edo State for the Governorship Election. There are 13 items on that document. I draw your attention to item 9 ‘submission of names of political agents, to be uploaded on INEC Portal’. INEC created a portal for political Parties to upload their agents and access codes were given to the Political Parties. INEC portal for uploading Polling Agents opened on the 17th of July and automatically shut down on the 30th of July at Midnight.

“On the 29th of August, 2024 INEC invited the National Chairmen and National Secretaries for an emergency meeting in Abuja. To our amazement, the APC did not meet with the requirement in 3,037 polling units and in 17 Local Government, which means APC has polling Agents in only 1,482 Polling Units and 1 Local Government Agent. PDP uploaded Polling Agents in 4,378 Polling Units. A party that cannot upload its polling unit agents in two-thirds of the polling units cannot be trusted with power in our State. We demand that no political party be allowed to correct this anomaly.

Continuing, Aziegbemi stated that, “we wish to draw the attention of INEC and Edolites to the sinister plan of the APC which has been uncovered by our intelligence unit. APC has perfected a plan to use fake INEC staff posing as Technical Staff to tamper with the BVAS machine on the day of election to beef up the number of accredited voters on the BVAS machine.

“We demand that INEC publishes in good time the names and pictures of all appointed RTECs For the election and their posting.APC knowing that they cannot win the election has resorted to rigging plans which will terribly fail, by the Grace of Almighty God,”the party chairman posited.

Responding, spokesman of INEC in Edo State, Mr.Timidi Wariowei said, “the Chairman of the Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu will be presiding over an enlarged stakeholders meeting in Benin on the 11th of September, 2024. He (PDP state chairman) can raise these issues there.”