On Sunday May 13, Edo State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) addressed a press conference in Benin City, fingering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of alleged plans to rig the July 14 governorship poll through voters’ registration which was billed to commence two days later.

The ruling party, ACN no doubt had learnt a bitter lesson on how not to contest electoral victory at the tribunal due to its tortuous road and a likely unfavourable judgment, immediately mobilized youths to INEC office in Benin City to abort the plan. By Monday, May 14 when ACN members occupied INEC office and true to the allegation, a young man with a calibrated Direct Data Capture (DDC) machine was arrested.

INEC National Commissioner, Dr. Ishmael Igbani, said that a staff of the commission in the Benin office accused by the ACN of allegedly manipulating the voters’ register, had been removed The dismissed officer, who said that he used the DDC machine meant for Igueben local government area to register people in Uromi was, however, attacked before the police rescued him. He had embarked on this terrible mission before the actual commencement date which was May 15.

The ACN had alleged that the PDP at a recent meeting in Abuja presided over by a leader of the party in Edo State, discussed extensively their detailed plans on how to manipulate and mutilate the voters’ registration in alleged collusion with the ICT unit of INEC both in Abuja and in Benin with a view to rigging the guber election.

At the risk of being caught napping, INEC immediately called the political parties to a meeting at its Benin office to resolve the issues at stake. INEC Head of ICT in Abuja, Chidi Nwafor, who was also accused, set the tone of discussion at the meeting when he explained that 450 DDC machines had been made available, out of which 384 would be deployed for the updating of voters’ register which was expected to commence Tuesday, May 15.

Nwafor said two DDC machines would be deployed in each of the 192 wards, saying that National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members would be recruited for the exercise and the election proper, adding that INEC was determined to be transparent.

The ACN state chairman, Thomas Okosun, alleged that the opposition party had “at the meeting resolved to bring in thugs from neighbouring states to, amongst other things, register them in some targeted units for two purposes; one, increase their votes given the fact that they (PDP faithful) don’t have supporters; secondly and more dangerously, to register such thugs in units where they will be used to foment trouble during the election”.

“As if to confirm our apprehension in the said petition, we have discovered that the modalities and methodologies for the forthcoming registration tend to raise more questions than answers. If the purpose of the exercise is intended to capture those who have attained the age of 18 since the last election of 2011, and given the projected population growth rate of 3 percent, why embark on a full blown voters’ registration?

“First, we are aware that before the gubernatorial elections in Adamawa, Kebbi, Sokoko, Bayelsa and Cross River states, INEC conducted continuous registration only at local government headquarters level. In the case of Cross River, there was no continuous voters’ registration at all and yet, elections were conducted by INEC.

“However, we are aware now that INEC had decided to deplore 472 fully calibrated DDC machines for use in all the 192 wards in Edo State, thus, giving the exercise a resemblance of a full blown or fresh voters registration exercise.

“Against the backdrop of the fact that INEC has restricted itself to conducting the continuous voters’ Registration in other states herein before mentioned, why has Edo state now become so special to warrant it veering off from its established pattern? If INEC were to do exactly what they did in other states, INEC will require 18 DDC machines and if it were to conduct registration in the 192 wards of the State, it would require 192 DDC machines and not the 472 DDC machines already deployed to the State for the exercise. What would INEC do with the excess DDC machines of 454 and 280 respectively for either the local government or ward levels? The question is; what is the failure rate of the DDC machine that they would require over 100 per cent back-up machines?

“The answer is simple; for the Edo PDP to achieve their massive rigging plan allegedly perfected with the INEC ICT unit in Abuja and Benin, they must deploy excess DDC machines to enable them achieve their aim of manipulating the process in the forthcoming election. The PDP would also use such excess machines to register their imported thugs from neighbouring states to manipulate the entire electoral process.

“No wonder, Mr. Fix It reportedly boasted that given the arrangement going on in the state, and the Presidency and the National Executive Committee of the party, we are sure that PDP will return to Edo State come July 14, 2012”.

Though, INEC’s Chairman, Prof Atahiru Jega had, in his wisdom cancelled the exercise, the PDP kicked; they want the exercise to continue. That’s not all; some other persons caught in this electoral malfeasance have since been arraigned in Edo, thereby giving vent to the allegation by the ruling party that there are plots to rig the poll.

Three persons were arraigned at the magistrate courts in Afuze, headquarters of Owan West LGA of Edo State for electoral offences. They were alleged to have conspired in the procurement and dealing in INEC Voters Cards contrary to section 124(5) and punishable under section 120 (!) of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.

The three accused-Richard Usikhifo, 61, Segun Omoarebu, 40 and Ajayi Ohikhuemi, 30 were charged before Magistrate W. I Aziegbevbin at the Afuze Magistrate Court on Tuesday. Their case had been adjourned to June 19.

These are the issues putting Edo State in the news and on the other side of history. We are all aware that the ruling ACN have severally raised allegations that some PDP agents were out to purchase voters’ cards and true to the allegations, they have proved themselves and played into Oshiomhole’s hand.
•Alhaji Akpeji, a Public Affairs Analyst, wrote in from Benin City.


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/national/article/how-acn-aborted-plot-rig-edo-guber-poll

Imagine dealing with a situation like this in 36 states at the same time!!!

All party rig elections we shouldn't be decieved. Go and read the judgement of the tribunal that brought Adams to power the tribunal acknowledged that both parties were involved in irregularities.

https://www.nairaland.com/942186/jega-inec-boss-escapes-mob ... Now I know JEGA can't escape mob actions.