Police operatievs and thugs
loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) have blocked officials of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from carrying out a court-ordered inspection of
the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines at the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Benin.
PDP officials who arrived at
the INEC office to inspect the BVAS machines this morning, in line with a court
directive, were met with fierce resistance.
The inspection was ordered
following concerns raised by the PDP about potential manipulation of voter
accreditation processes during the election.
Interestingly, INEC staff also
prevented PDP officials from inspecting the materials.
According to them, they are
waiting for the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu to give them permission.
Meanwhile, the INEC chairman is
currently in the Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
Speaking to the press, a senior
PDP official said:
“We came here with a valid
court order to inspect the BVAS machines, but APC thugs and police officers
have surrounded the place and are not allowing us entry.
“This is a blatant disregard
for the rule of law, and it raises serious concerns about the transparency of
this election.
“The APC knows that their
candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, is unpopular and lacks the backing of the
people.
“They are now resorting to
force and intimidation to prevent us from ensuring that the election process is
fair and credible.
“We are not asking for anything
beyond what the law guarantees us—a free and fair election.
“By preventing us from
inspecting the BVAS machines, the APC and their security enablers are sending a
clear message that they have something to hide.”
Meanwhile, the PDP’s legal team
is currently exploring options to enforce the court order and ensure that their
right to inspect the election materials is upheld.
The party leaders have also
called on the judiciary, civil society organizations, and international
observers to intervene and ensure that the electoral process remains
transparent and untainted by intimidation.
“Our democracy is on the line
here, and we can not afford to let INEC, thuggery and police interference
derail the will of the people,” the PDP official concluded.
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