PDP accuses APC of plot to replace INEC officials

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are plotting to replace the ad hoc officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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A statement by the PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare said the postponement was to allow the APC’s plan to succeed

He said the strategy was to replace the accredited members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with those of the APC to manipulate the results in its favour.

The statement read: “The postponement was well-planned to undermine the will of the Edo people. Governor Adams Oshiomhole and a cabal in the APC orchestrated the phantom security advice by the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) in the face of imminent defeat.”

He added: “For instance, most members of the NYSC who were trained by the INEC as ad-hoc staff for the election may round up their final clearance and disengagement process on September 26.”

The PDP’s publicity secretary stated that a close source in the APC had informed the party that the APC had compiled a list of its members, who they plan to secretly adopt as replacement for the out-going NYSC members.

According to the statement: “Another reason the APC asked INEC to fix the rescheduled election for Wednesday, an official working day, was to deny the electorate outside the state from participating in the election.

“We want to once again put the international community, accredited election monitors and the general public on notice about the devious plan by the APC. It would surely undermine our democracy and instigate crisis that might be very difficult to manage, if Oshiomhole and his gang are allowed to have their way.”

But in his reaction, the Publicity Secretary of the APC, Godwin Erahon denied the allegation. He said: “The PDP is crying wolf when there is none. At the level of our popularity in the state, we don’t need to rig election to win.

“The allegation is not true. INEC remains independent. There is no way we can influence INEC’s choice of adhoc staff.”

The PDP urged the people, especially its teeming members and supporters to ensure that whenever the governorship election holds, their votes shall count.