THE All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, called for the cancellation of the 10-day Continuous Voters Registration, CVR, exercise scheduled by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to kick off today.
It alleged plots by the Edo State Government, and the electoral umpire to manipulate the exercise in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The INEC and the state government denied the allegation. While the state government said its interest was getting people to come out to get registered during the CVR exercise, the INEC said it did not know what the APC was alleging about.
APC accuses INEC of collusion to manipulate exercise
Edo APC Chairman, Emperor Jaret Tenebe, in a statement, said: “We have received credible intelligence indicating that certain officials within the Independent National Electoral Commission have been compromised and are colluding with the out-going Edo State Government to manipulate the voters registration process in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
“The decision by Governor Godwin Obaseki to deploy Edo teachers, civil servants, as well as members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, as ad hoc staff for the CVR exercise is unacceptable to us. These personnel have been compromised to favour the PDP.”
Govt has nothing to do with CVR manipulation — Information commissioner
The Commissioner for Orientation and Communication, Chris Nehikhare, in a statement denied the allegation, saying: “We want to say as a government we are interested in our people coming out to register during the CVR exercise. That is what the government does.
“Also, political parties encourage the people to come out to register because it is the vote of the people that decides who governs them.”
We don’t know what APC is talking about — Electoral commission
On his part, the Head voters’ Education, INEC, Edo office, Tmidi Wariowei, said: “I don’t understand what they are saying. Last time we held a stakeholders’ meeting, APC was represented, they didn’t say anything. The same thing took place in the 18 local governments; they were also there and didn’t say anything.
“If APC or any other political party has any grievances against the commission or its staff they have the right to petition the agency.
“Our doors are always open to everybody. This idea of a press briefing to cast aspersion or unwarranted allegations against the commission is not the best.”