The Edo PDP Youth Movement has called on INEC to facilitate an impartial review of the BVAS machines and other similar electoral materials used in the September 21st governorship election in the state.
They made the call in a statement made available to the Press today in the state capital.
According to the statement, “the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, after blatantly rigging the September 21 governorship election and stealing the people’s mandate, has desperately continued its clandestine and surreptitious move to prevent the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its legal team from inspecting the Bimodal Voter Authentication System (BVAS) machines and other electoral materials used for the election, at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Edo State.
“The APC is terrified that the truth will come to light and the inspection will expose the massive electoral fraud that took place during the gubernatorial election, and has deployed armed thugs to the INEC office to cause chaos and disrupt the inspection process.These armed thugs went as far as shooting sporadically yesterday creating an atmosphere of danger and insecurity. And in their desperation, they are blaming PDP for same.
“Pray tell, how can the PDP, who were clearly the ones rigged out in the election, and who have been exploring all legal means to reclaim their stolen mandate be responsible for disrupting a process designed to uncover the truth?
“How can the PDP that have been protesting that the APC tampered with the BVAS machines, and that BVAS was intentionally not used in certain polling units so as to facilitate the rigging ploy by INEC and the APC, be the ones to obstruct the process of revealing those very infractions?
“How can the PDP that went to court to secure an order to inspect the BVAS machines and other electoral materials to strengthen their petition against the September 21 electoral robbery, and have since Monday, October 7, 2024 been denied access by INEC officials, in connivance with the APC thugs, be the same ones trying to derail the process they fought so hard to initiate?
“Every sane person already knows that the allegation by APC State Chairman, Emperor Jarrett Tenebe, claiming the movement of BVAS machines and voters’ registers into the INEC office from Government House, is nothing but a smokescreen designed to further delay the process, frustrate the PDP’s appeal, and ensure the petition is not filed before the Saturday deadline, all in their desperation to cover up September 21 electoral fraud.
“While it comes as no surprise that the APC is deploying all sorts of Machiavellian tactics to cover up their electoral malfeasance, what is rather perplexing, shameful, and deeply disappointing is that INEC and the police, which should be neutral arbiters of the process, are now an arm of the APC, working hand-in-glove with the APC to subvert the will of the people. Considering the alleged boast of APC chairman that he has purchased their services, these organisations shouldn’t complete throw caution to the wind. There is usually honor amongst thieves.
“As party members, we want to restate that we will not relent in our efforts to expose this broad daylight robbery and reclaim the mandate that was duly given to the PDP by the majority of Edo people.
“We call on INEC to rise above political interference and fulfill its duty by facilitating an impartial review of the BVAS machines and other materials. Anything less would be a betrayal of democracy and a disservice to the people of Edo State, to whom INEC’s primary loyalty should be”.
