PDP reveals strategy to foil APC rigging plan

The Peoples Democratic Party has revealed how it will deploy a state-of-the-art “Parallel Voting Tabulation (PVT)’’ system and four other strategies to prevent any form of rigging or manipulation in Saturday’s presidential election.

Mr Osita Chidoka, former Aviation Minister and Chairman, Strategy Committee of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, disclosed this to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.

The other strategies according to Chidoka included a national network of fully equipped Situation Rooms and Call Centres, a nation-wide hotline for the public to report malpractice and the launch of a hashtag, #DefendYourVote.

He described PVT as a “scientifically proven, best practice technique, to hold election authorities accountable, particularly when there is a lack of trust and the result are highly contested.

“Our methodology accounts for several different scenarios to ensure continued collation of the results in the event of any disruptions with collation process.

“Hard copies of the signed voter tally provided to all party agents by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC officers) will be transported to the central command centre should future disputes need to be reconciled’’.

He added that the party apart from deploying well trained and educated agents to each of the 176,000 polling units nationwide, the PDP had established a reporting system for the PVT from the wards level to the national tally centre.

He added that the PVT would ensure that PDP partisans “accept the results of the election, and that the country remained peaceful and respectful of its differences, adding that some civil society organisations will also have their PVTs in place.

Chidoka further disclosed that the party had also launched a nation-wide hotline for the public to report any noticed infractions.

“The PDP is providing multiple-line inbound call centre linked to a single hotline number: 097000551, for voters to report any incidence of violence or electoral malpractice.”

He said that the party would also make use of social media, #DefendYourVote campaign, targeted at Nigeria’s largest voter block (18-25 years-old), saying “a set of 12 easy-to-follow guidelines has been communicated to voters”.

Chidoka expressed confidence that election officials and security services would do their duty in accordance with their oaths and obligations.

He however warned that there would be consequences if attempt was made to compromise the integrity of the election.

“Particularly, we call on the Inspector General of Police whose wide international experience places him with a historic burden to ensure that security agencies strictly abide by the election code of conduct and rules of engagement,’’ the spokesman said.

Chidoka also noted that the PDP was aware that the All Progressives Congress (APC) intended to repeat the tactic it used for the Osun State governorship election in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, Delta, Kaduna, Kano and Rivers States.

According to him, the PDP had studied the APC play book, but said the PDP had adopted international best practices to halt the ruling party’s plans.

He listed these to include establishing a robust election results management system and wide array of intelligence collectors and patriotic public servants who are resolute in defending the Constitution and the integrity of the electoral process.

Chidoka who expressed confidence that election officials and security agents would do their duty in accordance with their oaths and obligations, however warned that there would be consequences if they try to compromise the integrity of the elections