Politics

Edo Guber: APC recruiting fake INEC staff to tamper with BVAS – PDP alleges

The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has alleged that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has perfected plans to recruit youths as fake staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to tamper with Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the September 21 governorship election in the state.

The state chairman of the party, Dr Anthony Aziegbemi made the allegations on Friday at a press briefing in Benin City.

Aziegbemi alleged that the party’s intelligence unit uncovered the APC’s sinister plans to recruit the youths as fake INEC staff and technical support staff.

He said the aim of the fake staff was to tamper with the BVAS Machine on the Day of Election to beef up the number of accredited voters of APC on the BVAS machine.

“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.

“APC knowing that they cannot win the election has resorted to rigging plans which will terribly fail,” he said.

Aziegbemi, who also alleged that APC, instead of uploading human beings as polling agents uploaded “emojis”, added that the party did not upload agents on the INEC designated portal in 3,037 polling units and in 17 LGAs.

He alleged that the party only uploaded polling agents in 1,482 polling units and in one local government while PDP uploaded in 4,378 polling units.

According to him, in all, APC did not do the right thing in 3,037 polling units. PDP did the right thing in 4,378 polling units, but did not get it right in 141 polling units.

He, however, called on INEC not to allow any political party or all political parties that do not meet the requirements of uploading polling units agents to substitute or effect any change of party agents.

He advised INEC to allow political parties to bear the consequences of not meeting the requirements as stipulated by the electoral act.

The PDP chairman, also urged INEC to publish the names, pictures and posting of all its technical support staff before the election to avoid APC allegedly using fake staff to tamper with BVAS.

He vowed that failure to do so, the party would not accept anybody to get close to the BVAS except the presiding officers.

Reacting to the allegations, Prince Kassim Afegbua, APC campaign council, media director, alleged that PDP just told the public what they are planning to do.

Afegbua said the bad news was that the APC is monitoring them bumper to bumper.

“We have told the world before now that Governor Obaseki brought hackers and cloners to Edo, with the aim of ensuring that the BVAS are tampered with, while also cloning our candidate’s voice.

“Now, they saw that is not working, they now want to device another method. By Monday and Tuesday, they have perfected plans to stage protest across the state asking that their criminal elements should not be arrested.
“Those who were fingered in the killing of Inspector Onu Akor are running away from investigation.

“They are afraid of facing the consequences of their action, hiding in Edo state government House for fear of arrest.

“They are coming up with these allegations to distract attention but unfortunately, we are following them up. We get details of their meeting everyday.

“We exposed the voice notes of their so-called Edo Security Network directive to their armed personnel, telling them to hide their guns. The game is up for them.

“Tell them to go and face their campaigns and stop using Edo monies to hire Rema to beef up their campaigns”,he added.

On his part, Timi Wariowei, INEC spokesman in Edo State, said the Chairman of the Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, would be presiding over an enlarged stakeholders meeting in Benin City.

He said the meeting will hold on September 11, 2024 and that the PDP state chairman can raise the issues there.

Politics

Court upholds Akpata, dismisses suit seeking his disqualification as LP guber candidate in Edo

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed an appeal filed by Kenneth Imansuangbon seeking to disqualify Olumide Akpata as the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Okon Abang, the appellate court held among others that Imansuangbon failed to explore the intra-conflict resolution mechanism of the labour party before rushing to court.

The court also held that his case was premature in law and could not be entertained on the ground that conditions precedent were not met.

The unanimous judgment of the three-man panel of justices also held that Imansuangbon failed to tender the disputed results of the February 23 primary election of the party, which he claimed to have won.

It would be recalled that in June, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court Abuja dismissed a suit seeking to void the nomination of Akpata as the LP candidate in the September 21 election.

In the judgement, Justice Omotosho upheld the arguments by Akpata’s lawyer, Johnson Usman, (SAN) that the plaintiffs were without the legal right to institute the suit.

Politics

APP refutes allegations that Fubara is handpicking the party’s LG chairmanship candidate

The Action Peoples Party, APP, in Rivers State has refuted allegations made by a Labour Party chieftain, Prince Favor Reuben, claiming that Governor Siminalayi Fubara is handpicking the party’s candidates for the upcoming October 5 local government elections.

Reuben, the South-South Vice Chairman of the Labour Party, made the accusation during a press briefing on Monday in Port Harcourt.

However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, APP urged Reuben to focus on preparing for the elections instead of engaging in baseless accusations.

The party’s state chairman, Sunny Wokekoro, dismissed Reuben’s claims as “childish” and “misinformed”.

He said, “In that statement, Reuben clearly showed a very deep lack of knowledge about how party administration is run. Ordinarily, one won’t respond to the gibberish or give him the publicity he is looking for.

“The issue of political party administration regarding their congresses and primaries is contained in each party’s constitution; every party has its modus operandi, and the Action Peoples Party is not exempted from that;

“We have done our primaries in accordance with the provisions of our party’s constitution, and we have gone beyond that.”

“Reuben and his paymaster, rather than showing gross ignorance of how a political party operates, should go and prepare for the election.”

“For the purported meeting that was held in the government house, I want journalists to ask that unknown figure if he was in that meeting and if he identified any party official of the Action Peoples Party as to allege that Governor Fubara was handpicking candidates for our party.”

“We have said it severally that Governor Siminilayi Fubara is not a member of our party and, as such, cannot handpick candidates for the party.

Wokekoro, stressed that Reuben has no locus standi to question the party’s internal affairs.

He assured that the APP remains focused and open to welcoming members from other political parties.

The APP state Chairman expressed confidence in the party’s ability to win in all local government areas in the upcoming election, adding that it is strictly adhering to the timetable set by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RESIEC), while accusing those following the directives of external influences of acting in ignorance.

Politics

Kano council polls: 20 aspirants test positive for multiple drugs

Twenty (20) chairmanship aspirants in Kano State have tested positive for multiple drugs screening for the upcoming local government elections, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has said.

Abubakar Idris Ahmad, the NDLEA’s Commander in the state, explained that the aspirants presented by the ruling NNPP in the state tested positive for substances, including opioids, hemp benzodiazepines and nicotine.

Mr Ahmad noted that, “while no female aspirant had tested positive so far, the screening process was ongoing and that more candidates were expected to be tested before the final verification by the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC).”

The Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), had scheduled the elections for October 26, 2024, where 44 chairmanship and 484 councillorship positions will be contested.