INEC, again, denies PDP, Ighodalo access to election materials, says awaiting permission from Abuja
*INEC working to frustrate PDP effort to prove its case at Tribunal - Commissioner *Accuses APC of planning to burn INEC office to destroy BVAS machines
By OUR REPORTER
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo State has again refused to grant the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, access to the Bimodal Voter Authentication System (BVAS) machines and other materials used for the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
The legal team for the PDP governorship candidate, led by Olusegun Jolaawo (SAN), had on Monday visited the INEC Headquarters in Benin City to access the BIVAS machine, voters register, ballot papers and other election materials used by INEC for the conduct of the poll against the outcome of the election, despite presenting a court order to INEC officials, they were denied access.
The visit followed a court-enrolled order dated Sunday September 29, 2024 and signed by the Secretary of the Tribunal, Mu’azu Ibrahim Bagudu Esq. and the Chairman of the Tribunal, Honourable Justice W. I. Kpochi.
The order directed the INEC, among others, to hand over the comprehensive list of all the electoral materials available in its custody for the inspection of Ighodalo and the PDP and “the taking of the Certified True Copy thereof.”
Though Ighodalo and his legal team were not granted an audience by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), the INEC officials who had attended to them after several hours of waiting, had reportedly directed them to return Tuesday October 8, 2024, to allow them get permission from Abuja.
The team was said to have returned Tuesday, for the second time running, and were allegedly denied access to the materials.
Reacting to the development on Tuesday in Benin City, the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Osa Nehikhare, alleged that it was a delay tactic by INEC to obstruct justice and frustrate efforts of the PDP in proving its case in court.
“We are aware that the clandestine and surreptitious game plan is to frustrate the PDP appeal and ensure the petition is not filed before the Saturday deadline,” he said.
The Commissioner also accused the APC of allegedly planning to burn the INEC office to destroy the BVAS machines and other electoral materials in an attempt to eliminate evidence of their ‘electoral fraud.’
Reassuring that the PDP would not relent in proving its case in court, Nehikhare called on the Police to take charge of the INEC office to prevent any attack and burning of the facility and also ensure enforcement of the court order, allowing PDP to inspect the election materials.
