Osun 2022: APC sends warning message to PDP, warns INEC against tampering with electoral documents

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun state has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to allow some of its officials tamper with documents used for the conduct of the July 16 governorship election.

Telesope.ng reports that the party, in a statement by its chairman, Gboyega Famodun, said it has discovered plots by some officials of the commission to collaborate with leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to compromise some result sheets and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, used for the poll.

The APC and Governor Adegboyega Oyetola had challenged the victory of the Senator Ademola Adeleke and the PDP at the election petition tribunal, questioning outcome of 749 polling units for alleged over voting.

Famodun said: “We have received an authentic information about the activities of certain individuals in the Osun State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and some elements in the PDP to compromise the contents of the electoral results of Forms EC8A and EC8B vis-à-vis the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, reports which contain the records of the actual number of persons accredited to vote in each polling unit.

“Everyone can recall that the Petition we presented to the Electoral Tribunal on Friday, the 5th day of August, 2022, made detailed and undeniable allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022 with established vagaries and inconsistencies between the numbers of persons accredited by BVAS and the actual numbers of persons that voted in each polling unit.

“By the above, we were able to establish over-voting in 749 polling units across ten local government areas of Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore, Ejigbo, Ila, Ilesha West, Irepodun, Obokun, Olorunda and Osogbo Local Government Council Areas.

“We got it from a reliable and an authoritative source that the INEC officials in Osogbo, working for PDP and its candidate, Ademola Adeleke, have embarked on an urgent process of manipulating the contents of the BVAS report in order to defeat the unassailable allegations and evidence at our disposal.

“It is on record that the certified true copies of most documents are with us and any attempt to doctor, manipulate, tamper with or utter such documents in the custody of INEC shall be resisted strongly.”

Your allegations mere propaganda, PDP reacts

But in its reaction, Chairman of the PDP’s Media management team, Mr Diran Odeyemi described the allegation as mere propaganda, saying “The APC is known for always accusing the PDP of what they intend to do. They should stop crying and allow their over 50 lawyers prove their case before the tribunal.”