There were allegations and counter-allegations between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) concerning the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System used in the Edo State governorship election held on September 21.
The PDP accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of delaying the release of electoral materials to its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who plans to challenge the election results in court. On the other hand, the APC protested at the INEC office in Benin, warning against any collusion with the PDP to manipulate the election materials.
The PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, claimed that compromised INEC officials and the APC were trying to manipulate data in the BVAS machines and election materials to favor the APC candidate who won the election.
In response, the PDP strongly condemned INEC’s alleged refusal to grant access to the election materials and BVAS machines to inspect them, as ordered by the court. The party accused INEC officials of colluding with the APC to obstruct justice and manipulate election results.
The PDP emphasized that the mandate given to them by the people of Edo State should not be unlawfully taken by the APC, urging INEC to release the materials for inspection in compliance with the court order.
Members of Ighodalo’s legal team expressed concerns over the delay in accessing the materials, hindering their ability to file a petition to the tribunal within the given timeframe. They emphasized the urgency of the situation and the need to inspect the materials promptly.
Despite the tensions, supporters of the APC protested outside the INEC office, demanding the protection of the election documents from any tampering. The situation around the office appeared tense, with heightened security measures in place.