PDP alleges plot by APC to rig Kogi governorship polls

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said it has been made aware of alleged clandestine meetings involving the Presidency, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and some security forces, wherein the agencies were ordered to use official and unofficial means necessary to ensure victory for All Progressives Congress
(APC) in the November 21 Kogi governorship election.
PDP national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh,

In a statement issued in Abuja, said: “We have incontrovertible records of separate meetings, late last week between the Presidency and the new INEC leadership as well as with some top security officers, which were coordinated by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, who boasted that he had President Muhammadu Buhari’s orders to ensure that Kogi State is wrestled from the PDP by all means.
“We alert all to be aware of this planned ‘coup’, against democracy again, by the now ‘new Sherrif’, who though, being the biggest
beneficiary of free and fair election in the history of Nigeria, is now out to corrupt the electoral system and destroy our democracy, all in the obsession to foist a one-party state in the country.”

According to Metuh, “Intelligence information available to us shows that at the meeting with
the new INEC leadership under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the commission was given orders regarding the posting of compromised personnel to strategic areas in the state to manipulate the card readers as well as the actual voting process in favour of the APC, with assurance of adequate protection by government security agencies, particularly the Directorate of State Services (DSS).”
“We are aware that in another meeting also held in Abuja, the Presidency directed summoned security officials to ensure that the forces are maximally used to intimidate the people with a view to paving way for compromised INEC officials to manipulate the process, alter ballot figures and announce doctored results,” he added.

The statement reads further:
“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, Alhaji Audu Abubakar.
“It is to say the least, an embarrassing miscarriage of justice that the same President who rode to power on much publicized anti-corruption credentials, would not only superintend over plots to corrupt the electoral process, but also endorse a man facing corruption charges as his governorship candidate.”

“The PDP wishes to state in the strongest possible terms that the people of Kogi State love their governor and are fully in support of his re-election bid. We therefore caution the President and the APC to watch their steps as their plots have not only been exposed, but will also be stiffly resisted by the people.”