The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Sunday alleged that it has uncovered a plot by the presidency, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and some security forces to rig the November 21 Kogi governorship election in favour of the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Abubakar Audu.
The national publicity secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, in a statement said the party had evidence of various meetings between the alleged plotters, which he alleged was coordinated by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal.
Metuh claimed that Lawal had boasted of the President’s orders to make sure Kogi State is taken over by APC by all cost.
He also alleged that Intelligence available to the PDP “shows that at the meeting with the new INEC leadership under Mahmood Yakubu, the commission was given orders regarding the posting of compromised personnel to strategic areas in the state to manipulate the card readers”.
Metuh further claimed that the actual voting process will be in favour of the APC, with assurance of adequate protection by government security agencies, particularly the Directorate of State Services, DSS.
According to him, at a meeting also held in Abuja, “the Presidency opted to see the security officials to help intimidate voters, citing the plots to compromise INEC officials and manipulate the process, alter ballot figures and announce doctored results.”
“To kick off the rigging process and underscore the desperation to take over Kogi state, the President himself is billed to be in the state on Wednesday to endorse the APC candidate, Audu Abubakar, a man facing charges of corruption,” Metuh added.