Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Oyo state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has claimed to have uncovered plans by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to change the location of some polling stations with a view to frustrating voters on the day of the election.
This allegation was contained in a statement by the APC’s Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, where he disclosed that the opposition party had an intelligence report revealing how the state governor, Seyi Makinde, has been able to compromise some bad eggs within INEC to assist in relocating polling units in Oyo State to locations which may be inaccessible, hard to reach or even non-existent, on poll day.
“Makinde, already getting the signals pointing to his inevitable electoral doom, has issued a standing instruction to some bad eggs within the Oyo State office of INEC, to immediately relocate several polling units across the state, from their advertised addresses to unknown or obscure locations.
“A run-through of the affected units revealed the devil behind the detail; they are units considered strongholds of our party, which given the pervasive atmosphere of free, fair, and credible elections in Nigeria, our party is expected to win hands down, without fuss”, the statement said.
Explaining what it believed the attempt at relocation would portend, the APC added; “not only would this plot cause voters incalculable stress on election day, for many will be hearing of such for the first time on poll day, many will become disenchanted once they are unable to locate the new polling units. This will then drop the idea of participating in the voting exercise and thus reducing the chances of the electoral victory of the preferred candidate”.
Wondering why Governor Makinde and his party, the PDP had to be plotting electoral fraud day and night, despite boasts declaring his re-election a walk-over, and deadly propaganda to boot, the party informed them that no matter the depth of their plots or the dexterity of their schemes, the resolve of the good people of Oyo State to free themselves from a government of deceit, will always tear it all to smithereens.
“By this notice, we alert the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Zonal Electoral Commissioner, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, and all electoral stakeholders to beam the Commission’s searchlight on the activities of INEC staff, especially those in the Oyo State office, so that they do not allow some bad eggs tarnish the commission’s hard-earned reputation nor put to disrepute, its concerted efforts at organising free, fair and credible polls.
“We have put behind us the ugly experience of 2019 when a supposed unbiased umpire became an interested party and connived with the PDP to perpetrate electoral fraud. The hatchet job was well done such that most polling stations were turned into drinking joints by PDP members as early as noon on the election day as a result of the assurance they had got. But this time round, INEC shall be made accountable for all unclaimed PVC, electoral materials, and the proper conduct of the poll”, the statement concluded.
