The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ekiti State says it has uncovered a plot by the state leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to compromise voting materials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and rig the March 28 presidential poll in favour of President Goodluck Jonathan. APC therefore urged the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and all election monitors to put Ekiti State under special watch to forestall electoral fraud.
A statement by the Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, said this disclosure, coming from dependable sources, could not be wished away considering the latest revelations of the compromise of INEC materials by the PDP in June 21 Ekiti State governorship poll to give victory to Governor Ayodele Fayose as revealed in Ekitigate tape.
Olatubosun said: “Our fear is not without basis. Nigerians and indeed the whole world have heard Fayose talking on Ekitigate tape about how he collected INEC soft copies and got them printed to manipulate the poll to secure victory. They also heard how the military provided cover to subvert democracy in Fayose’s favour.
“We are calling on Jega that we have it on good authority that Fayose has again printed fake ballot papers as usual to exchange with INEC original ballots on Friday night preceding election day.”
Olatubosun alleged that the plan was to exchange the ballot papers on the night of March 27 just as it was done on the night of June 20, 2015.
He urged Jega, INEC officials and security agents to ensure that ballot papers are not distributed at night, pleading that the distribution be done in the morning in the presence of parties agents.
The spokesman appealed to the electoral umpire to put his staff under intense surveillance to avoid compromise with polls riggers.
APC also alleged that Fayose, his Ondo State counterpart, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, and their agents are in possession of fake army uniforms to be worn by the thugs allegedly imported into the state three weeks ago.
Continuing he said, “Part of the plan is also to start hijacking money allocated to each polling unit on Friday night by Fayose’s fake soldiers who are actually PDP thugs.
“The first ‘consignment’ of the thugs were shipped to the state at night in six 18-seater buses three weeks ago while the last batch will be coming from Cotonou in Benin Republic after a week-long recruitment.
“The first batch of the thugs led by one Tosco is being presently lodged at a popular hotel along Iworoko Road and are already on surveillance duty coordinated by two Ekiti North PDP contestants in the general elections.
“The other batch is in a camp in Ilaje/Okitipupa area of Ondo State where they are being put on oath and are being armed with sophisticated weapons. Their reward is N150,000 if they can deliver.
“We hereby call on Jega to nip internal sabotage in the bud to ensure credible poll to write his name in gold while we also call on security agencies to be alive to their responsibilities. It is also a challenge to voters to protect their votes against polls invaders.”
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