From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The All Progressive Congress (APC) has debunked allegations that its governorship candidate in the Bayelsa governorship election, Chief Timipre Sylva is recruiting IT experts to manipulate the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
The publicity secretary of the APC, Doifie Buokoribo in a statement titled, ‘’Bayelsa 2003: Who’s Afraid of Election Courts,’’ said the allegation by group Niger Delta Democratic Watch(NDDW) is irresponsible, incredible and laughable, and a ‘’product of fear, desperation and hysteria. ‘’
Buokoribo, who pointed out that aides of Governor Douye Diri are behind the group, noted that since the election ended the BVAS machines are in the custody of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to him it therefore does not make sense for Sylva to camp people in Lagos or anywhere to reconfigure BVAS machines for a process that has already been concluded.
Buokoribo noted that Diri and his party are aware they did not win the election and have resorted to antics to divert attention from electoral fraud.
“As far as we know, Diri and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), worked in cahoots with INEC to compromise the November 11 election.
‘’Votes were arbitrarily cancelled in areas where the APC won overwhelmingly, and there were huge incidents of over-voting in areas where the PDP was declared victorious. If anyone stole the votes, it was PDP and Diri. Sylva has since approached the Election Tribunal to prove that PDP worked with INEC to rig him out.
‘’To now suddenly allege that Sylva is trying to compromise the BVAS in the custody of INEC shows how low Diri and his cohorts can get in trying to cover up or divert attention from their electoral fraud, just when it is about to be exposed. It raises a pertinent question: Who is afraid of the election courts?’’ he said.