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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo State has charged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its gubernatorial candidate, Asue Ighodalo, with the Bimodal Voter Authentication System (BVAS) machine used in the September 21 gubernatorial election and other access to the materials was again denied. election.
The denial came when the PDP legal team visited the INEC office on Tuesday to inspect election materials related to the controversial election.
This refusal has raised allegations of collusion and deliberate obstruction by the PDP, which has accused INEC of collaborating with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to thwart their legal challenge to the election results. claims.
Edo State Commissioner for Communications and Orientation, Mr. Chris Nehikare, said INEC’s action was a “secrecy” aimed at frustrating the PDP’s appeal and preventing it from filing the petition by the looming Saturday deadline. It was criticized as a “strategy”.
Mr Nehikare also accused the APC of planning to set fire to INEC offices to destroy key evidence including the BVAS machine which it claims contains evidence of electoral fraud.
Reacting to the situation, Nehikare assured PDP members that the party would remain persistent in exposing the alleged electoral fraud and reclaiming what it believed to be its rightful mandate from the people of Edo State.
He called on the Nigerian Police Force to tighten security at INEC offices, thwart any potential attacks and enforce the court order allowing access to election materials.
This latest development follows the visit of the PDP legal team led by Olusegun Jolawo (SAN) to the INEC headquarters in Benin City on Monday.
They have filed a court order dated September 29, 2024, which provides INEC with a comprehensive list of election materials and allows PDP and Ighodalos to obtain certified true copies of the documents. I was instructed to do so.
Despite waiting several hours, the legal team was informed that they would need to return on Tuesday to obtain clearance from INEC headquarters in Abuja.
The continued denial of access to critical election materials has raised concerns about the transparency and fairness of the electoral process in Edo State.
