By EMMANUEL OLONIRUHA

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged of plots by some paid agents to replace the Saturday Edo governorship election results where the PDP was leading, particularly in Edo North.

The party in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, in Abuja on Saturday alerted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Department of State Services (DSS) on the allegation.

Ologbondiyan said that the PDP urged its members to remain vigilant and follow their results to all the collation centers.

He also said that it cautioned the security agencies against being used to replace results already being declared at the respective polling units.

“Already, we are aware that results are being manufactured in Kogi State to be used as replacements for already declared results, particularly in Edo North.

“We draw the attention of INEC to such results being bandied by the APC, including the fake result claimed to have emanated from Etsako West, where a vote of 914 was allocated to the APC, as against the genuine declaration at the polling units.

“A cursory check on the results being circulated in the public space by the APC failed a litmus test of the identification numbers of INEC declaration of results.

“Whereas polling unit results are identified as Form EC8A, the results being paraded by the APC carry a fake identification number of Form EC60E.

“Our party expresses concerns that this sinister adventure of the APC is being encouraged by the slow pace of uploading already declared results in INEC’s virtual portal,” Ologbondiyan said.

He said that the PDP was alarmed by the report that the development had led to avoidable post-election violence, including reported killing of innocent Edo citizens.

He alleged that the victims had come out to perform their civic responsibilities as the police allegedly withdrew their men in certain collation centres.

Ologbondiyan called on the Inspector-General of Police to protect innocent Nigerians from the violent act.

“We charge the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to ensure that his officials are not compromised to replace results.

“The people of Edo State have spoken loud and clear with their votes in their respective units, and they are already aware of the authentic results,” Ologbondiyan said.

Reacting to the statement, Mr Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), that INEC was committed to following through its processes and procedures for a successful and credible election.

Okoye said that INEC officers were uploading the results on the commission’s Result Viewing Portal.

“The Commission is irrevocably committed to following through its processes and procedures.

“As at 18.49p.m. 702 results have been uploaded in the INEC Result Viewing Portal.

“Our Presiding Officers are uploading Form EC8A which is the Polling Unit Result.

“Presiding Officers must complete Form EC 60E (The People’s Result Sheet), and paste at the polling unit.

“We understand the challenges posed by poor network in some of our communities and our Registration Area Technical Assistants are working hard at overcoming the challenges.

“The Commission is focused on completing the process. The Commission is not interested in the outcome but focused on the processes and procedures,” Okoye said. (NAN)

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