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PDP Raises the Alarm, Says INEC Wants to Prevent BVAS Evidence
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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm that the Independent National Electoral Commission is making moves to prevent the party from obtaining evidence from the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System through obtaining a court order.
The court order, the PDP said, would reconfigure the BVAS so that the PDP and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, would not have what is required for prosecuting its case at the presidential election tribunal.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday night at the party headquarters in Abuja, the National Publucity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, stated that, “late on Monday at 10:10 PM, INEC in a move to prevent our party and candidate from obtaining necessary evidence as ordered by the Court, filed a motion requesting that it be allowed to reconfigure the BVAS machines and wipe off relevant information that our party and candidate require to prosecute our case at the presidential election tribunal.”
Ologunagba added that the action of INEC was reprehensible and meant to frustrate the desire of Nigerians to get redress through the court.
He pointed out that “it is a clear recipe for crisis and a deliberate design by the commission to derail our democracy and trigger anarchy in the country.”
INEC had announced the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, returned president-elect from the Saturday, February 25, 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections which the PDP earlier rejected the results.
The spokesperson for the PDP further maintained that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, superintended over the alleged manipulation of the results of the presidential election and hurriedly announced a winner in spite of widespread outcry and complaints over numerous evidence of malpractices and violation of several provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 by INEC and its officials.
He also said the INEC chairman bypassed all the steps and procedures provided by the Electoral Act, 2022 for the declaration of results, including to announce and declare only results that were transmitted directly from the Polling Units to the INEC server/website and to review the results in the event of disputes and objections as to the correctness and consistency of the collated result.
The PDP spokesman also pointed out that, “Instead of being guided by the law, the INEC chairman brazenly announced and declared results that were not transmitted directly from the Polling Units to INEC’s server/website while ignoring the objections and complaints raised during the collation in complete disregard to the provisions of the Electoral Act.
“Despite the provocative act of the INEC chairman, the PDP, as a law-abiding party, approached the court and obtained an order directing INEC to, among other things, grant our party and candidate unrestrained access to carry out a forensic examination of the ballot papers, data forms, BVAS/and or card readers and all other necessary information, material and evidence to get redress for Nigerians at the Election Tribunal.
“Apparently panicked by the order, INEC rushed to court to file a motion requesting the court to allow it reconfigure the BVAS devices with the view to erasing the information contained therein.
He further observed that in the motion, INEC admitted that the BVAS application stores the accreditation data for all voters accredited on the device for the presidential, senatorial and House of Representatives elections conducted on February 25, 2023 and that the reconfiguration of the BVAS devices entailed purging the accreditation data on the BVAS devices.
He maintained that the action by INEC was vexatious, provocative and only pointed to the impunity and culpability of the Commission with regard to the reported manipulations and alteration of results to deny its party and its candidate their victory at the presidential election.
According to him, INEC’s action further validates the fact that their party and presidential candidate won the February 25, 2023 presidential election, based on the actual votes cast at the polling units.
He further questioned: “If INEC has nothing to hide, why was it in a hurry to declare manipulated results without recourse to the provisions of the Electoral Act and without consideration of the disputes, objections and complaints raised by Parties during the collation process?”
He reiterated the party’s commitment to continue to pursue the matter in accordance with the law.
The Punch
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has expressed relief and joy over the release of the abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
“It is such a big relief for all of us. Right now, I am overjoyed and can hardly say much,” the governor told Channels Television.
President Bola Tinubu has also expressed delight over the successful rescue of abducted children and teachers, commending the military, the DSS, and the Nigeria Police Force for ending their 56-day captivity.
The President said the security operation led to the arrest of eight suspected abductors while several others were neutralised, describing the outcome as a major relief for the victims, their families and the nation.
In a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu praised the security agencies for what he described as their tireless efforts in securing the victims’ release.
He also sympathised with the children, teachers and their families over the trauma they endured during the prolonged ordeal
The President further commended the Oyo State Government for its cooperation with the Federal Government throughout the rescue operation and urged the state to strengthen security around schools to prevent similar incidents.
President Tinubu also directed emergency response agencies to work with the Oyo State Government to provide the rescued children and teachers with all necessary medical care and relief support as they recover from the ordeal.
The schoolchildren and teachers kidnapped by suspected bandits in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have been rescued after about 56 days in captivity.
According to a statement by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, the victims were freed through the efforts of security agencies.
“Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Oriire, Oyo State, have been rescued by our security agencies,” Onanuga said.
He disclosed that eight members of the kidnapping gang were arrested during the rescue operation and are now in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Onanuga said the rescue operation did not involve any exchange or concession to the kidnappers, noting that a notorious gang leader whose release had been demanded by the abductors remains in custody and is being prosecuted for his alleged crimes.
He added that security agencies would provide a full account of the operation soon.
“In the course of the rescue operation, eight of the kidnappers were arrested and are now in DSS custody, while some of them were neutralised. There was no quid pro quo in the rescue, as one of the terrorists, a kingpin whose release was demanded by the kidnappers, is being prosecuted for his atrocities. The security agencies will give full account soon,” he added.
In a video shared alongside the statement, a woman believed to be one of the rescued teachers was seen thanking President Bola Tinubu for securing their release. The schoolchildren were also seen eating biscuits and joining the teacher in chanting, “Thank you, sir,” at the end of her remarks.
“Hello sir, our father, we are grateful. Mr President, sir, we are grateful. We understand your commitment to our safety and we appreciate all you did for us. We could see your hand in this. Thank you very much. Every security operative tried so much, and that is why we are still alive today. We are very grateful to you. Thank you very much,” the teacher said.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Thursday, held a closed-door meeting with Nigeria’s Security Chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, as the Federal government reviewed the worsening security situation across the country.
The meeting focused on a comprehensive assessment of security challenges and developments across various theatres of operation.
Among those in attendance were the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa; Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff, Waidi Shaibu; and Chief of Defence Intelligence, Emmanuel Undiandeye.
Also present were the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Adeola Ajayi; Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed; the President’s Special Adviser on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka Famadewa (retd.) alongside other security officials.
The meeting came 48 hours after troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, supported by the Air Component of the Joint Task Force (North West), foiled what the military described as a major planned terrorist offensive in Zamfara State and Katsina.
According to the military, the operation, carried out on July 7, involved three Nigerian Air Force aircraft that tracked a convoy of about 300 heavily armed terrorists travelling on motorcycles from the Sunke-Kumbo axis towards Gummi before launching precision airstrikes on the convoy.
The outcome of Thursday’s security meeting was not immediately disclosed, but it comes amid growing concerns over persistent attacks by terrorists, bandits, and other armed groups in several parts of the country.
