Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, of breeding fake police men and working on the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. James Apam, to compromise the Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections by substituting trained Ad-hoc staff for preferred All Progressives Congress candidates.
PDP also said it has lost confidence in the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Buhari, of being neutral in the election and asked for his immediate transfer and that of the REC from the state.
In a statement signed by Idris Abubakar Lokoja, Chairman of the PDP in Lokoja council, the party also accused the REC of giving out unclaimed PVCs of the local government to the APC.
In a swift reaction, Apam said INEC, under his leadership, will never compromise and noted PDP’s fear was unfounded. He said all the sensitive materials, including the card readers, were immediately retrieved after the postponement and were moved to the Central Bank of Nigeria for safe-keeping, and stressed that there is no way the PVCs could be substituted as it contains thump print of individuals which are never the same.
Meanwhile, at a stakeholders’ meeting, the State NYSC Coordinator, Ahile Oludolapo expressed fear that NYSC kits would be made availaable to fake corps members during the election and that genuine corps members could be kidnapped and replaced by those fake corps members.
She said parents of corps members did not want them to participate in the postponed election, again, after their ordeal in the botched election but that she stood surety for their safety.
The REC has, however, dismissed fears of fear of fake corps members being used to conduct the elections.
Also reacting on behalf of the governor, his media aide, Kingsley Fanwo said the PDP is just ranting and that the PDP has reduced itself to an allegations-peddling party.
He said APC, under the leadership of Bello has campaigned hard across the state “and we are confident of winning the elections.” convincingly.”