By Damisi Ojo (The Nation)
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State yesterday exposed an alleged plot by the ruling Labour Party (LP) to rig the October governorship election in the state.
The PDP accused Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s party of conducting an illegal registration of voters at Government House,Akure with a view to giving it an undue advantage at the polls.
A similar exercise,he added, is ongoing in several government offices, including the Water Corporation headquarters, Akure and other parts of the state.
The PDP Chairman, Mr. Ebenezer Alabi, exposed the plot at a press conference in Akure. He showed reporters photographs and video clips of the said registration.
The state government, Mr Alabi said, procured 20 secured finger-print scanners, Model AET 63, at the rate of N265,569 per unit for the project. They were shipped into the country last month, he said.
Two Indian experts are alleged to have been invited by the state government to train local hands in the use of the scanners.
“It is a pity at a time when Nigeria is battling with the problem of insecurity and electoral malpractices that we could have a government at whatever level engaging in acts capable of breaching public peace and security, Mr. Alabi said.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the reasons why we consider the ongoing registration exercise in Ondo State illegal and therefore criminal are obvious. One, there is no announcement or publication on the exercise.
“ Two, the locations are hidden and unpublicised. Three, the exercise is selective, not for everybody. Four, there are some details required which are only applicable to voter’s registration, but unnecessary for mere workers’ bio-data. Five, it is INEC, not the Ondo State government that has responsibility for registration of voters.
“We were reliably informed that those involved in the conspiracy include some functionaries of the INEC in Ondo State, top officials of the LP and the INEC Voters’ Register for Ondo State through a method known as elimination by substitution.
“In other words, the intention is to use the exercise to delete the names of genuine voters and replace them with the fake voters being secretly registered now.
“It is also apposite to employ this medium to bring to your attention some activities of the state government in recent time that are calculated attempts to prevent a free and fair election in the state.
“These include: The so called Kaadi Igbe Ayo (registration of citizens according to wards, involving biometric data); collection and conversion of voters’ cards around the state, induced adoption of Dr. Mimiko for second term by the civil servants in the state; as well as the training, arming, kitting and patronizing of vigilance groups in the state for election rigging purpose.
“It is on record that the state government recently organized a three-day workshop, God-knows-what, for the group. We shall resist their involvement in whatever form in the forth-coming election.
“We call on members of the public to be vigilant. We say with all emphasis at our disposal that all registration activities in this state by whatever name called, involving biometric data and finger-print machines particular at this sensitive period are all devices aimed at rigging the forthcoming gubernatorial poll.”
But, a top government source who preferred anoynomity claimed the registration was for civil servants, but refused to disclose its purpose.
All efforts to speak with the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state,Mr Akin Orebiyi, proved futile as his phone was switched off.
The PDP accused Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s party of conducting an illegal registration of voters at Government House,Akure with a view to giving it an undue advantage at the polls.
A similar exercise,he added, is ongoing in several government offices, including the Water Corporation headquarters, Akure and other parts of the state.
The PDP Chairman, Mr. Ebenezer Alabi, exposed the plot at a press conference in Akure. He showed reporters photographs and video clips of the said registration.
The state government, Mr Alabi said, procured 20 secured finger-print scanners, Model AET 63, at the rate of N265,569 per unit for the project. They were shipped into the country last month, he said.
Two Indian experts are alleged to have been invited by the state government to train local hands in the use of the scanners.
“It is a pity at a time when Nigeria is battling with the problem of insecurity and electoral malpractices that we could have a government at whatever level engaging in acts capable of breaching public peace and security, Mr. Alabi said.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the reasons why we consider the ongoing registration exercise in Ondo State illegal and therefore criminal are obvious. One, there is no announcement or publication on the exercise.
“ Two, the locations are hidden and unpublicised. Three, the exercise is selective, not for everybody. Four, there are some details required which are only applicable to voter’s registration, but unnecessary for mere workers’ bio-data. Five, it is INEC, not the Ondo State government that has responsibility for registration of voters.
“We were reliably informed that those involved in the conspiracy include some functionaries of the INEC in Ondo State, top officials of the LP and the INEC Voters’ Register for Ondo State through a method known as elimination by substitution.
“In other words, the intention is to use the exercise to delete the names of genuine voters and replace them with the fake voters being secretly registered now.
“It is also apposite to employ this medium to bring to your attention some activities of the state government in recent time that are calculated attempts to prevent a free and fair election in the state.
“These include: The so called Kaadi Igbe Ayo (registration of citizens according to wards, involving biometric data); collection and conversion of voters’ cards around the state, induced adoption of Dr. Mimiko for second term by the civil servants in the state; as well as the training, arming, kitting and patronizing of vigilance groups in the state for election rigging purpose.
“It is on record that the state government recently organized a three-day workshop, God-knows-what, for the group. We shall resist their involvement in whatever form in the forth-coming election.
“We call on members of the public to be vigilant. We say with all emphasis at our disposal that all registration activities in this state by whatever name called, involving biometric data and finger-print machines particular at this sensitive period are all devices aimed at rigging the forthcoming gubernatorial poll.”
But, a top government source who preferred anoynomity claimed the registration was for civil servants, but refused to disclose its purpose.
All efforts to speak with the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state,Mr Akin Orebiyi, proved futile as his phone was switched off.
Source: The Nation
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