APC Unearths Rigging Strategies of APGA, PDP For Anambra Governorship Poll

Posted by African Examiner Anambra Election, Ayo Balogun, Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, November 11th, 2013

Ayo Balogun, Lagos

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it has uncovered plan by desperate politicians within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) to massively rig Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State, Nigeria and warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against allowing itself to be used to carry out such plan.

Gov Peter Obi of Anambra south-east Nigeria

The party, in a statement issued by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, listed some of the rigging strategies as disenfranchisement of voters, especially in opposition strongholds; massive thumb-printing of ballot papers in secret locations; sloppy accreditation process; late or non-delivery of voting materials to opposition strongholds and the use of the police and other security agencies to intimidate voters.

It described the strategies as old tricks which INEC should be very well aware of, if indeed the electoral body was keen on delivering a free, fair and transparent elections on Monday.

”There are plans to use several secret locations, including Ogidi, for massive ballot paper thumb-printing, and it is an open secret that some of these locations are being fortified for secrecy. Plans are also afoot to foist a sloppy accreditation exercise on voters by muddling up names and photographs of voters in such a way that most voters will be disenfranchised.

”Also, areas where the APC candidate is strongest will either be starved of voting materials or will not even receive such materials at all, while the police – which is fast becoming the armed wing of the PDP – as well as other security agents will be used to harass and intimidate voters.

”These are some of the evil strategies which the riggers are counting upon on Saturday. This is the same game plan that the PDP used to rig the Delta Central Senatorial Election last month, with the collusion of some dirty INEC officials,” APC said.

The party warned, however, that the people of Anambra would not allow a replay of such electoral heist and unmitigated brigandage, neither would the APC condone any action that would not ensure a level playing field for all candidates at the poll.

It therefore served a warning to INEC, the police and other security forces to restrict themselves to their constitutional roles during the election, instead of working in cahoots with do-or-die politicians, vowing:

”We will expose, challenge and shame all those who are bent on ruining the forthcoming elections in Anambra, using our own counter-measures.”

APC tasked INEC to present and use for the Anambra election an authentic, legitimate and reliable voters register; ensure a proper voter accreditation as well as proper documentation of all agents and voting materials starting from the polling units to the collation centre; and make sure that the distribution of election materials were timely, effective and well monitored.

The party called on its teeming supporters to be extra vigilant before, during and after the election; protect their votes and counter, within the limits of the law and their own safety, any rigging measure that the devil-may-care politicians would bring forth.