The All Progressives Congress (APC), Oyo State chapter, has alleged of plans by the governor of the state, Seyi Makinde and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to frustrate voters in the state by changing polling units.
Newsonline reports that APC also alleged that INEC and Makinde have plans to use the rural areas of the state to effect their alleged rigging plot.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) made the allegation in a statement issued on Sunday and made available to journalists in Ibadan by the APC’s Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare.
Olawale Sunday alleged that the Oyo State Peoples Democratic Party, and Governor Makinde have given a standing instruction to some bad eggs in INEC to “immediately relocate several polling units across the state, from their advertised addresses to unknown or obscure locations.”
The statement read, “Makinde, already getting the signals pointing to his inevitable electoral doom, has issued a standing instruction to some bad eggs within the Oyo State office of INEC, to immediately relocate several polling units across the state, from their advertised addresses to unknown or obscure locations.
“A run-through of the affected units revealed clearly the devil behind the detail; they are units considered strongholds of our party, which given the pervasive atmosphere of free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria, our party is expected to win hands down, without fuss.
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“Not only would this plot cause voters incalculable stress on election day, for many will be hearing of such for the first time on poll day, but many will also become disenchanted once they are unable to locate the new polling units. This will then drop the idea of participating in the voting exercise and thus reducing the chances of the electoral victory of the preferred candidate”.
The APC spokesman called on the INEC chairman to hold their staff to account and call them to order.
“By this notice, we alert the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Zonal Electoral Commissioner, the Resident Electoral Commissioner and all electoral stakeholders to beam the commission’s searchlight on the activities of INEC staff, especially those in the Oyo State office, so that they do not allow some bad eggs tarnish the commission’s hard-earned reputation nor put to disrepute, its concerted efforts at organising free, fair and credible polls.
“We have put behind us the ugly experience of 2019 when a supposed unbiased umpire became an interested party and connived with the PDP to perpetrate electoral fraud. The hatchet job was well done such that most polling stations were turned to drinking joints by PDP members as early as 12 noon on the election day as a result of the assurance they had got.
“But this time round, INEC shall be made accountable for all unclaimed PVC, electoral materials and the proper conduct of the poll,” APC said.
