By: Isaac Shobayo – Jos
The Plateau State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (AP) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of conniving to rig the 18th March 2023 governorship election in the state.
The state chairman of APC, Hon Rufus Bature, who made the accusation while addressing newsmen in Jos, said several emerging facts in the last few days are already confirming the party reservations about the entire exercise.
His words: “Our reality checks including unfolding developments have strongly indicated how electoral best practices were thrown overboard by members of the opposition PDP in active collaboration and collusion with the electoral umpire.
“For instance, the saga surrounding the recovery of the 14 missing BVAS machines meant for some polling units in Jos North LGA; the premeditated and reckless over-voting registered in Langtang North, Mangu, and Jos South LGAs as well as Tudun Wada and Kabong in Jos North LGA; and the unabashed manipulation of the electoral process by INEC officials and ad-hoc staff to favour the opposition PDP in the State. All these have now come to full public glare.
“It is very clear that in areas where the APC won, the results have shown how the electorate in such areas conducted and subscribed themselves to due diligence and electoral guidelines regarding accreditation and voting under the Electoral Act. We stand to be contradicted. It is rather sad that the grotesque arm-twisting by the INEC especially through its failure to declare the results of the Plateau Central Senatorial polls which the APC won fair and square is one of the most compromised tendencies towards subverting the tenets of democracy”.
He noted that since the declaration of Barr. Caleb Mutfwang as the purported winner of the controversial Governorship polls in the State, the opposition PDP hoodlums have resorted to violence, destroying APC campaign materials (billboards, flags and posters), adding that all these are evident in Mangu where the Generationext Campaign office was unabashedly destroyed and pilfered.
Hon Bature added that commuters, especially those passing through Mangu, were attacked and harassed, in addition to subjecting APC members to series of unconscionable attacks in other parts of the State, all in a brazen display of hysteria.
He continued, “We have all the evidence on tape and video. How else can we convey these needless harassments and cajoling of our members into accepting the opposition PDP’s Pyrrhic victory!
“It is also on record that in the aftermath of the general elections, we have noticed a series of blackmails and propaganda by the opposition through a barrage of ill-motivated religious and ethnic profiling of our Party and its candidates. Against this background, we remain committed to our resolve on issue-based statements and actions, as we are unruffled by the jittery outbursts of our opponents”
He further pointed out that the party has commenced all necessary actions towards addressing serial discrepancies like doctored results and other irregularities that characterised the election.
The Chairman therefore enjoined all members and supporters of the APC in the state to remain calm, resilient, steadfast and law-abiding as there are already strong indications that the stolen mandate would soon be reclaimed.
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