APC alleges rigging strategies for Anambra governorship poll

All Progressives Congress

The opposition party urges supporters to protect their votes.
For the second time in one week, the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Monday alleged plans by some persons to manipulate Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State.

The opposition party said it had exposed alleged plan by desperate politicians within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the All
Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, to massively rig the poll.

It, therefore warned the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, against allowing itself to be used to carry out the plan.

APC, which is presenting a former governor of the state, Chris Ngige, as its candidate in the election, had last week alleged that two INEC Commissioners, namely Lawrence Nwurukwu and Gladys Nwafor, both of who may oversee the governorship election, were card-carrying members of the PDP and had compromised their roles as unbiased umpires.

In the fresh allegation on Monday, the opposition party, in a statement by its interim National Publicity Secretary, 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,” the party said.

It alleged that plans were also on to foist a sloppy accreditation exercise on voters by muddling up names and photographs of voters in
such a way that most voters would 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 warned that the people of Anambra would not allow a replay of such electoral heist and unmitigated brigandage neither would it, as a party, condone any action that would not ensure a level playing field for all candidates at the poll.

It therefore asked 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.

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

The party tasked INEC to present and use for the Anambra election 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. It also asked the electoral body to make sure that the distribution of election materials are timely, effective and well
monitored.

APC also called on its 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 will bring forth.”