The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress APC, Yekini Nabena has accused the opposition Peoples Democratic Party PDP of hiring a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC as an ‘election consultant’ as part of last-minute strategy to win the forthcoming polls at all costs.

Speaking Sunday in Abuja, Nabena, who declined to to disclose the name of the former INEC chairman, however challenged the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to deny the allegation and equally charged relevant authorities to investigate the veracity of his allegation.
“Following the exposure of the PDP’s initial plot to use Russian hackers to compromise INEC servers, the PDP has now hired a former INEC Chairman as an election consultant. This INEC Chairman was notorious for rigging elections for the PDP over the years.

“The plan is to use INEC officials who remain loyal to the former INEC Chairman and under his payroll to compromise the system from within.” Nabena said.

Asked to comment on the uproar that greeted the recent appointment of Mrs. Amina Zakari as chair of INEC’s ad hoc committee on National Collation Centre for the 2019 elections, the Bayelsa-born APC Chieftain said Nigerians should not be deceived by the PDP-sponsored protest and fake news over her appointment.

“The baseless protest is a ploy to create a distraction for their (PDP’s) election rigging and hacking plans.

“The PDP has deliberately chosen to be blind to the fact that Mrs. Amina Zakari is not a blood relation of the President as it alleges. In fact, her appointment was done by their very own former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“Besides, INEC has publicly stated the roles of its recently inaugurated adhoc committees. The collation centre committee chaired by Mrs. Amina Zakari is in charge of operational logistics of the centre such as electricity, internet, live transmission as well as accreditation for access to the ICC and security of the venue.

“Mrs. Amina Zakari’s committee is not saddled with actual collation of results. Only the chairman of INEC, who is the returning officer for presidential election, decides the validity of votes”, he said.

•Sourced from a Vanguard report

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