APC unearths PDP’s multi-pronged drive to rig Edo elections  

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State on Thursday said it has uncovered ‘a dubious multi-pronged drive to rig Edo elections’ by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the Edo State governorship election.

The APC Media Campaign Council in a statement on Thursday alleged: “They plan to manipulate the election process to their favour by rigging and presenting false voters.”

The Director General of the APC Campaign Council, Dr Cecil Esekhaigbe, had alleged that he had reports on the governor’s plans to use the Abuja liaison office of the Edo State government during the election. the DG, therefore, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) alleging a ploy developed by the PDP to use the state’s liaison office as a front for illegal trade in permanent voters’ cards.

Dr. Esekhaigbe alleged: “Under the guise of assisting intending voters with transportation, the governor has released the sum of ₦250 million to the Edo Liaison Office, Abuja, to induce voters living in Abuja and also buy the PVCs of those who will not be able to attend at ₦200,000 per PVC. In executing this ploy, the Abuja Liaison office has sent out notices to platforms of Edo Indigenes in Abuja, inviting them to come with their PVCs to the office from Friday 4th September to Friday 11th September 2020.”

The APC had also on Wednesday disclosed reports alleging a suspected ploy by the government to use teachers in the state to execute similar plan.

Chairman of the APC Media Campaign Council, John Mayaki, in a statement indicted that the APC, therefore, protested: “This practice is contrary to the Electoral Act and part of a clear template to rig the forth coming Edo State governorship elections. The APC is, hereby, calling on INEC and the relevant security agencies to investigate this desperate act by the Edo State Governor and his agents with a view of nipping it in the bud.”

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APC further declared: “We are using this medium to advice all Edo State Indigenes in Abuja and other parts of the country, not to encourage this fraud by ignoring the invitation from the government of Edo State to assist them with transportation.”

Moreover, Chairman of the APC Media Campaign Council, John Mayaki, added: “We have been informed that members of the PDP are planning to invade polling units with people with fake PVC and they will work with some compromised staff of the commission to give them fake accreditation – please let all relevant bodies and security agencies take note of this. We must all work together to checkmate this plan in other to avoid smooth rigging.

“We also have reports from people within Edo that they have tried to mobilise to furnish their sinister desires. They are already asking for people’s account details, promising to credit them money two days to the elections. They will train you, pay you and make you vote for them.”

Also, the APC alleged that the training by Independent National Electoral Commission of volunteer officers currently going on in Esan South East where Mrs. Magdalene Ohenhen, a Special Adviser to the Governor comes from has been compromised. The party alleged that there were many people they discovered, who came to work for PDP from outside Edo State.

“One of our observers told us that she has interviewed some of them and they disclosed that they are from Kogi, Igbo land, Rivers, and some places across the River Niger opposite Illushi community. Some of them were paid to do so because they spoke the same language and had the same name, which would make it difficult to notice them.

“They are all there in the same hall with legally accredited officials and they are training on how to rig the election on the 19th September. We implore all true sons of Edo to stay vigilant and not allow any person from outside the state come and steal our mandate,” APC alleged.