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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo State, has again refused to grant the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, access to the Bimodal Voter Authentication System (BVAS) machines and other materials used for the 21 September governorship election.
This is against the order of the court, said a statement from the office of the special adviser to the Edo State governor on media
According to the statement the legal team for the PDP governorship candidate led by Olusegun Jolaawo SAN, had on Monday, visited the INEC Headquarters in Benin City, the Edo State capital, to access the BIVAS machine, voters register, ballot papers and other election materials used by the electoral body for the 21 September gubernatorial election to flesh up its petition against the alleged rigging of the poll but was refused access to the materials despite presenting the court order to INEC officials.
The visit followed a court enrolled order dated Sunday 29 September 2024 and signed by the Secretary of the Tribunal, Mu’azu Ibrahim Bagudu Esq. and the Chairman of the Tribunal, Honourable Justice W. I. Kpochi, directing the INEC, among other things, to hand over the comprehensive list of all the electoral materials available in its custody for the inspection of Ighodalo and the PDP and “the taking of the Certified True Copy thereof.”
Though they were not granted audience by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), the INEC officials who had attended to them after several hours of waiting, had directed them to return on, Tuesday, October 8, 2024, to allow them get permission from Abuja.
The team was said to have returned for the second time running and were unfortunately denied access to the materials.
Responding to the situation on Tuesday, the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Osa Nehikhare, said it was a delay tactic by INEC who are working in conivance with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to obstruct justice and frustrate the efforts of the PDP to regain its mandate stolen during the 21 September governorship election.
According to him, “We are aware that the clandestine and surreptitious game plan is to frustrate the PDP appeal and ensure the petition is not filed before the Saturday deadline.”
The Commissioner also accused the APC of planning to burn the INEC office so as to destroy the BVAS machines and other electoral materials in an attempt to eliminate evidence of their ‘electoral fraud.’
Reassuring that the PDP would not relent in exposing the electoral theft and regaining the mandate that was duly given to the party by the majority of Edo people during the September 21 guber poll, Nehikhare called on the Police to take charge of the INEC office to prevent the planned attack and burning of the facility and also ensure enforcement of the court order, allowing PDP to inspect the election materials.”
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