THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner in charge of Operations, Mrs Amina Zakari and two directors of the commission have perfected plans to manipulate the system and rig the July 14, Ekiti governorship election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary, the party’s investigation revealed that two INEC directors which it named as Mr Pascal Uwakwe, in charge of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and one Mr Abdulrasaq Agboola have been holding meetings with the APC candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to perfect their plot to rig the election.
It said the party had been fully made aware of how the INEC directors have been meeting with Fayemi, Gov. Akeredolu and other APC leaders at the Ondo State Government House, Akure, in the last three weeks, on the directives of Mrs. Zakari, as well as details of their plot to manipulate the process and rig the election for the APC.
The party said it was also privy to the game plan of the APC to use INEC’s ICT Department to preload card readers and input false results through E-Collation while also using different sets of Forms EC8A to enter fake results in over 503 polling units to authenticate the fake E-collation results.
PDP added: “The PDP wants Nigerians to note these INEC’s clandestine activities, particularly those of Mrs Zakari, who is fast earning notoriety in election rigging, as well as the manipulations going on under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who appears helpless in the face of the machination of the commissioners and directors of the Commission.
“Meanwhile, this same Amina Zakari was reportedly sighted in Lagos last Wednesday where she allegedly held a meeting with some top functionaries of the APC, including the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
“Further investigations revealed that Uwakwe, in particular, has been positioned to act as a courier for huge sums of money to be paid to INEC staffers that will perpetuate the rigging.
“The PDP, in no equivocal terms, therefore demands that Mrs Zakari and her gang must not play an active role in the Ekiti election. She must stay away from Ekiti State as there is no way we can have a free, fair and credible election, with her in the process.
“We also call on the international community as well as anti-graft agencies to be watchful of the sinister motives of Zakari and her collaborators in INEC ICT department, as well as others in the Operations unit.
“Finally, let it be known that the people of Ekiti State are not in any way ready to accept any manipulation of the election by anybody whatsoever. This caution goes to all compromised INEC and security officials, who have been assigned to attempt to subvert the will of the people of Ekiti State in this election.”
In a separate statement, the main opposition party has asked the people of Ekiti State to be at alert and hold the candidate of the APC, John Kayode Fayemi directly responsible should any harm happened to the state governor, Chief Ayo Fayose, on the election day.
It informed that Fayemi had recently alluded to threats to life, arrests and continuous harassment of Ekiti people by security forces when he threatened that security sources would “cage” Fayose.
The PDP also charged the people of the state to take note of the threat by Fayemi to practical cage Governor Fayose on election day, which is a direct threat to his life and the peace of the state, particularly, considering the popularity of Governor Fayose and the PDP among the people.
It added: “Our investigations revealed that the statement by Fayemi that Governor Fayose will not be allowed to move around on election day is not a frivolous comment, but a product of a grand plot by agents of the APC and the Federal Government to set up the governor and open him up for harm.
“The PDP is also privy of plots by Dr. Fayemi and the APC who, having realized that they have no chance in the election, have now designed plots to cause crises and engineer conspiracies to set up perceived political opponents, including traditional rulers, labour unions, religious leaders, interest groups and other stakeholders, with a view to intimidating the people and subverting their will at the polls.
ALSO READ: Ondo workers threaten showdown with Akeredolu over allegation of N10m bribe from Fayose
“What Fayemi and his dysfunctional APC have failed to come to terms with is that there is no way they can intimidate the people of Ekiti State to submission. The people of Ekiti State have already made up their minds to go along with the PDP and no amount of harassment by Fayemi can change this resolve.
“We, therefore, invite all to hold Fayemi responsible should there be any breakdown of law and order or should any harm befall Governor Fayose, any traditional ruler, religious leaders, members of labour unions or any other individual or groups in the state in the course of the election.
“Finally, we also caution INEC and its observers to note the already the established resolve of the people of Ekiti State to be on the side of the PDP, disentangle itself from the vicious web of the APC and ensure only a free, fair and credible election, as the people will not in anyway accept any results that do not reflect their wishes and aspirations, as expressed at the ballot.”
But the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has denied allegation that the electoral body was plotting to right the July 14 election in favour of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) standard bearer, Dr Kayode Fayemi.
Rotimi Oyekanmi, media aide to the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu said at no time did any staff of the Commission met with officials of the main opposition party. He said:”INEC has never met secretly with officials or leaders of any political party. The Commission meets quarterly with all political parties under the aegis of the Inter-Party Consultative Committee (IPAC). Political party leaders or officials are also free to request for a meeting with the Commission and when such written requests are received, reviewed and approved, the INEC Chairman and all National Commissioners meet with party officials. The public should disregard the unsubstantiated allegation.”
and then