The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed deep concerns over an attack on the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo State by individuals allegedly affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The PDP claims the attack is an attempt to prevent them from accessing critical electoral materials needed to contest the results of the September 21 governorship election.
In a statement issued by Chris Osa Nehikhare, Edo State’s Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, the PDP alleged that the attack was led by Hon. Dennis Idahosa, the state’s deputy governor-elect.
They condemned the incident, calling it “shameful and reprehensible” and criticized INEC officials for allegedly refusing to grant their lawyers access to the office, despite having a court order.
The party further accused the Edo Resident Electoral Commissioner of being complicit with the APC, alleging that the INEC officials delayed them, claiming they were awaiting approval from INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who is reportedly out of the country.
The statement reads in part: “We condemn in the strongest terms attempts by the APC to obstruct justice and frustrate the efforts of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to regain its mandate stolen during the September 21 governorship election, by intimidating INEC officials into frustrating the PDP from accessing the BIVAS (Bimodal Voter Authentication System) machines and other materials to flesh up its petition against the September 21 electoral robbery.
To say the least, this is most troubling, shameful and reprehensible in the light of the wider ramifications of the action of these thugs.
It’s quite appalling that PDP lawyers who went to the INEC Office were prevented access despite presenting a court order to that effect.
Infact, the Edo Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) refused to grant the team audience, true to form of someone who is in connivance with the APC.
The INEC official who anonymously spoke to them after several hours of unnecessary delays and tossing around, claimed they were awaiting permission from the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu who we are aware is out of the country.
We are in the know that the clandestine and surreptitious game plan is to frustrate the PDP appeal and ensure the petition is not filed before the Saturday deadline.
This is a great threat to our democracy and we call on civil society organizations, international observers, and other stakeholders to keep an eye on Edo to stop this resort to intimidation and harassment by the APC to derail the will of the people.
We have also been reliably informed of plans by the APC to burn the INEC office so as to destroy the BVAS machines and other electoral materials in an attempt to eliminate evidence of their electoral fraud which took place on September 21 in Edo State.
We want to call on the police to take charge of this facility to prevent the planned attack and destruction and also ensure enforcement of the court order.
While we urge the APC to refrain this resort to intimidation in their desperate move to cover their ignoble actions during the election, we want to restate that we would not relent in exposing the electoral theft and regaining the mandate that was duly given to the PDP by the majority of Edo people.”